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Copyright Mister Sinister, 2007
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This guide is dedicated to my best friends Matthew & Peter
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CONAN WALKTHROUGH
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¦ This walkthrough is copyrighted to Mister Sinister (2007) ¦
¦ I don't mind it being lifted in its entireity, but if you do so, please ¦
¦ make sure you give credit to the author (me) and DON'T pass it off as your ¦
¦ own. Thanks ! ¦
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¦ I N D E X ¦
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In order to make this guide as quick and easy to navigate (given that many of
the people that read it are going to do so specifically to get over specific
issues that they are experiencing) I have elected to implement a section code
which I originally used for my Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy Guide. It's really
quite simple, and I'll give you an example just to make sure we're all on the
same page ;)
If, for example, you want to skip to the "BOSS FIGHT - THE SAND DRAGON"
section, just hold ctrl + F to call up your default find screen, and type in
"0 1 0" and hit enter. This will take you, first to 0 1 0 in this index, and
then to the appropriate section.
0 0 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
0 0 2 OPTIONS AND SETTINGS
0 0 3 CHOOSING YOUR DIFFICULTY
0 0 4 BASIC CONTROLS
0 0 5 GETTING STARTED
0 0 6 ACT ONE - THE BARACHAN ISLES
0 0 7 ACT TWO - THE PIRATE RAID
0 0 8 BOSS FIGHT - BONE CLEAVER
0 0 9 ACT THREE - SAND VAULT
0 1 0 BOSS FIGHT - THE SAND DRAGON
0 1 1 ACT FOUR - TRIBAL WARRIOR
0 1 2 ACT FIVE - ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD
0 1 3 BOSS FIGHT - ELEPHANT GOD (AKA ELEPHANT DEMON)
0 1 4 ACT SIX - MIDNIGHT RAID
0 1 5 ACT SEVEN - OUTPOST
0 1 6 BOSS FIGHT - SORCERESS QUEEN
0 1 7 ACT EIGHT - DEVIL ISLAND
0 1 8 BOSS FIGHT - GIANT SQUID
0 1 9 ACT NINE - FALLEN KINGDOM
0 2 0 BOSS FIGHT - BONE CLEAVER II
0 2 1 ACT TEN - WELL OF DREAMS
0 2 2 ACT ELEVEN - SPIRE
0 2 3 ACT TWELVE - DARK SPIRE
0 2 4 BOSS FIGHT - GRAVEN
0 2 5 MASTER CLASS - COMBAT
0 2 6 MASTER CLASS - FATALITIES
0 2 7 MASTER CLASS - BESTIARY
0 2 8 HINTS AND TIPS
0 2 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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¦ 0 0 1 ¦
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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Hello and welcome to my Conan (for the X-Box 360) FAQ and Walkthrough !
My name is David, and I will be your guide, so let's get started shall we ?
I should mention that I don't at all mind you getting in touch to ask me
questions or to provide me with helpful critique or suggestions you would like
me to consider incorporating into my guide - my objective at the end of the
day is to produce a piece of work to honour the game, and to try and help as
many of you out there as possible to increase YOUR enjoyment of it - however I
should point out that I don't (DO NOT) like dealing with idiots, so if you
have nothing either interesting or constructive to say, MY advice is to not
bother getting in touch with me - you'll just incur my ire, cheers ;)
So ! Onto the game :)
Conan is a hack-and-slash game. A stand-alone title which can be alikened to
a number of games including Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, God of War (I & II),
the Tombraider Series, Onimusha Warlords and others but which, like so many
decent titles out there, looks to borrow from, and improve upon the best that
many of the other games have to offer, rather than to obviously rip any one
off.
You control (rather unsurprisingly) Conan, a barbarian brute of a man who is
far more interested in pillaging and conquering than tea and biscuits. As
such I expect you to find him THOROUGHLY entertaining to play with ... I
certainly did !!
The main selling point of playing an out-and-out warrior like Conan is that
the game centres heavily around his combat control system, which is very
well-developed. You can attack using one of four different combat styles,
and you can mix-and-match these styles during play. Just quickly, your
combat styles are :-
- One weapon (with optional Shield)
- Two, single-handed weapons
- One, double-handed weapon
- Bare hands (grappling)
There we go - I think that'll do as a brief synopsis of the game.
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¦ 0 0 2 ¦
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OPTIONS AND SETTINGS
Conan's main menu consists of five options, which break down as follows :-
NEW GAME - start a new Conan campaign
RESUME GAME - continue the last-loaded Conan campaign
LOAD GAME - load a specific Conan save game
EXTRAS - leads to the following options ...
~ Statistics - stats from the current campaign (if one exists)
~ Unlockables - leads to the following options ...
> Videos/Concept Art - hidden artwork (unlocked during play)
> Cheats - leads to the following options ...
-) Master All Moves*
-) Armour Power Mode*
-) Song of Death Mode*
-) Invulnerability Mode*
~ Achievements - lists your X-Box 360 in-game achievements
~ Leaderboard - shows your position on the online leaderboard
~ Credits - plays the game's credits
OPTIONS - leads to the following options ...
~ Gameplay - leads to the following options ...
> Fade HUD
> Vibration
> Gore
~ Audio/Video Settings
> Brightness
> Music Volume**
> Sound Effects Volume
> Voice Volume
> Subtitles
* I will go into more detail about the cheat modes in section 0 2 8 - HINTS
AND TIPS.
** Be wary of turning this down - it has a BIG impact on the cutscenes !!
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¦ 0 0 3 ¦
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CHOOSING YOUR DIFFICULTY
Since you have absolutely no control over the character you are allocated to
play (it's Conan or nothing), the first consideration you should give to THIS
title is what level of difficulty you want to impose upon yourself.
You might be tempted to just whack it on easy, but I can assure you that there
ARE definite reasons to play it on the higher difficulties (namely that if you
play the game on Normal, Hard or King (which you must play through on Hard in
order to even UNLOCK let alone PLAY), you will be rewarded, upon completion of
each of the difficulties, with certain modes of play being made available to
you anew via the cheats section).
For the purposes of good order, I confirm that THIS guide has been created by
my playing through the game on the NORMAL difficulty setting.
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¦ 0 0 4 ¦
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BASIC CONTROLS
Here are the basic controls for Conan :-
Left Thumbstick - Moves Conan in any given direction
Right Thumbstick - Rolls Conan in any given direction
X (Blue Button) - Fast/Light Attack
Y (Yellow Button) - Slow/Strong Attack
A (Green Button) - Jump
B (Red Button) - Grab
D-Pad - Selects Conan's current Magic Spell
LB (Left Shoulder Button) - Cast Conan's current Magic Spell
LT (Left Trigger Button) - Block/Parry
RB (Right Shoulder Button) - Activate Item
RT (Right Trigger Button) - Throw Weapon
Back Button - Takes you to the combo purchase screen
Start Button - Pauses the game
During my guide I will be giving you directions and, since the game is fully
three-dimensional, there will be times when I will be unable to give you
simple go left, go right instructions, as the camera pans of its own will.
Therefore whilst I will TRY to keep my directions as simple as possible,
sometimes I will refer to items in rooms or things you can see in the
distance, in order to give you points of reference, ok ?
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¦ 0 0 5 ¦
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GETTING STARTED
Hokay, so we've chosen our difficulty, and we're IMMEDIATELY treated to a
cutscene, wherein an aged lady (apparently speaking to a child at a campfire)
creates the setting for a tale she is to tell of Conan - the barbarian
warrior of legend, who (in this particular adventure) finds his way to the
lost island of Balmoria, in the Western Sea.
Conan ascends to the highest peak on the island, there to find a long-
forgotten tomb, which he seems bent on exploring.
........................................................... and we're off !!
As soon as you gain control of your character, a spectral warrior (which I
am going to refer to from here on in as a Wraith) manifests itself before
you, telling you that you don't belong here.
WhatEVER dude ... I kinda like it here !! In fact I think we'll move in.
Wraiths are spiritual warriors which are thankfully colour-coded in this
title. The colour of a Wraith determines what type of weaponry it has at
its disposal, as follows :-
- PURPLE Wraiths are armed with a single weapon and shield;
- BLUE Wraiths wield two, single-handed weapons; and
- BROWN Wraiths are equipped with a two-handed weapon.
Move Conan over to the purple Wraith, and attack it with any combination of
moves you wish. Once it has been destroyed, another purple Wraith will come
to life and attack you, and the game will pause to give you the first of a
large number of hints which you cannot turn off, but which are there to help
you (at least for your FIRST run through the game) - this time it's telling
you that X is for your light attacks, and that light attacks are fast but
do less damage than heavy attacks.
There are a number of wraiths for you to despatch in this first section,
which is very obviously a training level designed to help get you into the
swing (no pun intended) of playing the legendary warrior himself.
Slay all the Wraiths in the area, and (if you wish to change the weapon you
have to hand, or adopt a different fighting style), walk up to whatever
weapon you want to pick up, and press the RB (right shoulder button - the one
immediately in front of RT - the right trigger) button, and you Conan will
pick up the weapon. Note that he might drop whatever weapon he currently has
equipped to do so, depending on what you're after and what's already in your
hands.
Once you are ready, head to the back of the room, stand by the door in the
little white ring which is flashing, and the game will give you another hint.
This time it tells you to press RB to open doors, and that some doors need
you to enter a series of commands to open them, which are displayed on-screen.
Press RB to open the door, and then tap the B button repeatedly to force it
open.
In the next room, observe the number of suits of armour lying on the floor.
These are all going to be possessed by Wraiths in the very near future, so
bear that in mind when you wade into the room.
Move forward and onto the red circle, and despatch all the Wraiths that are
created.
Once you are done, head to left of the room and either press RB near one of
the two urns (the ones with the green energy pouring out of the top), or
destroy some of the duller-looking urns, to release little green runes which
will hover about for a second or two, and then enter Conan's body.
The game will confirm that green runes restore Conan's health.
Exit this room via the right (RB by the door, and then tap B repeatedly to
open it).
In the next chamber, destroy the vases (if you need to replenish any health),
and head to the right and back into the chamber - HOWEVER, take care when
you walk past the statues, as energy from the brown Wraiths causes them to
crumble and fall down about your ears.
It is at this point that the game will explain that pressing RB near a fallen
enemy's weapon will cause you to pick it up, and that you can carry different
weapon combinations on this basis ... which YOU already knew 'coz I already
told you ;)
Defeat the Wraiths in the area and, as you reach the steps at the back of
the chamber, one of the giant statues set into the wall by the doorway comes
to life and steps down to attack you !!
"Crom ... the statues live !!" exclaims Conan (which is a bit more tame than
what I said the first time I saw it to be honest, but hey !).
The best technique for defeating these enemies is to focus on hit-and-run,
so I would suggest a strong attack, and then rolling away or blocking. They
do have an unblockable attack which is when they swing at you and the blur
of their blades is RED, but to be honest this is just the training level,
so even that won't do you too much damage.
Kill the Statues and the Wraiths, and then head through the door (RB, tap B).
This next chamber is the final room in this training level. You will see a
green urn and a two-handed weapon just inside the door on the level you enter
and thereafter a drop down to the room below.
Heal up, take the weapon IF you like, and then drop into the room and head
to the centre.
Take out the two giant statues (you don't need to worry about keeping any
health for the next level as this is your last fight here), and a cutscene
will ensue.
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan destroys the statue in the centre of the room, and the narrator
explains that, whilst Conan had come to the island seeking a jewel, what he
found (and unleashed) was a monster.
Something happens to Conan, and the next thing you know, you awaken adrift
on the open seas, apparently bereft of your armour. There is an island close
by, so Conan swims toward it.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations - you have survived the training level !
At the end of each level you are presented with a statistics screen which
shows you a number of pieces of information including :-
- Total Score for the level and the game
- Total Time Played for the level and the game
- Kills for the level and the game
... and also how many objects you destroyed, bodyparts you severed, your
favourite combo and so on and so forth - it's a handy way of keeping tabs
on your performance and to reflect on all the enemies you've despatched to
meet Crom ;)
*shakes his head and chuckles* this game ROCKS !! =)
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¦ 0 0 6 ¦
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
¦ ACT ONE - THE BARACHAN ISLES ¦
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan swims toward the Barachan Isles - a notorious den of pirates and
cutthroats, and promptly removes a sword from the corpse of a nearby fallen
pirate, before you resume control of him.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Hokay, since we've now gotten through the tutorial level together and can
start the game proper, I am going to make my instructions considerably more
cut-and-dried, so as to dispense with the drivel and help you on your path to
fame and glory. I will elaborate on sections where I feel it may be of
benefit or interest to you for me to do so ;)
> Run back to the shoreline and on the right-hand side you will find a
treasure chest. Crack it open for some red-rune goodness.
> Run forward, and follow the path around as it curves gently right, until
Conan exclaims "Pirates !".
===================
COMBAT MASTER CLASS
===================
Whilst I will go into further detail in the section 0 2 5 further on, I think
this is an appropriate time to give you a bit of a master class on Conan's
combat system, or at least one major aspect of it - FATALITIES.
Conan has the ability to instantly slay an enemy, and I am going to teach you
how to do this quickly, and easily.
The simple diagram looks like this :-
[Enemy Attacks] + [You Parry] + [You Press the Appropriate Button] = [DEATH]
It's very simple - take the first pirate that comes towards you as a test.
At this level, since these are your first PROPER opponents, they will attack
you slowly, giving you plenty of time to respond. When the pirate attacks
you, LITERALLY as he is about to strike your body with his sword, hold LT -
the left trigger button at the back of the controller, and Conan will block
the attack.
If you simply hold LT the whole time, Conan will block the whole time. What
I need YOU to do, however, is to PARRY the attack, by which I mean you need
to block it just as it is about to strike you.
You will know when you have successfully parried an attack because the game
will call up either the letter X, Y or B above you, indicating that you
should now press that button to counter-attack, and slay your opponent.
Try it ... if neither X, Y or B appears when you defend the strike, it means
you either blocked too soon, or you let yourself be hit (silly billy).
Practice that technique on these enemies and you WON'T be disappointed.
There are different fatalities for each of the different weapon styles in the
game, making a grand total of ... ooh ... LOTS of ways to slay your enemy !!
Once you have slain an enemy with either a valid combo or fatality, the game
will tell you how much of that move you have mastered (text appears in white)
as well as the name of the move you just pulled off (in case you want to
show off to your mates later).
... but for now, back to the plot ...
> Once you have slain the pirate, you should get your first red rune. Red
runes are the equivalent of experience points that you can use to buy new
combos and moves for Conan as the game progresses.
> Slay the 4 Pirates around the campfire, and then open up the chest behind,
to gain enough red runes to buy your first combo.
=================
PURCHASING COMBOS
=================
At around this point you will have amassed enough experience points to be
able to buy your first combo - I'm so proud *clasps his hands together*.
Pressing the BACK button on your controller (that little white button to the
left of the bigass X-Box button in the middle ?) will call up your "Combat
Abilities" screen.
===========================
THE COMBAT ABILITIES SCREEN
===========================
As you can see from this simple screen, there are five pages (denoted by
icons) running along the top, being :-
1) "Ready to Learn" - a picture of Conan's ugly mug;
2) "General Move" - a picture of an open hand;
3) "One-Handed" - a picture of a sword atop a shield;
4) "Dual-Wield" - a picture of two crossed swords; and
5) "Two-Handed" - a picture of two hands gripping a large sword.
Whilst you can check out what's in pages 2-5 at your leisure, page 1 is where
it's at. This page lists all the combos that you have yet to learn, and
which you can purchase (and yes, the list WILL grow in time).
Each combo has certain pieces of information which you MUST pay attention to
or you'll fluff this bit up.
* The image to the left of the combo's name corresponds with one of the icons
for pages 2-5, so for example at the top of the list are two combos with
the same name - "Fast Strike Finisher" - HOWEVER, one is only useable when
you have a sword and/or shield (the FIRST one), and the other is useable
only when you are wielding two single-handed weapons (the SECOND one), got
it ?
* The button combo to the right of the combo's name is (rather obviously) the
combination of buttons you need to press to do the combo (I can't BELIEVE I
just explained that, but there we go).
* A description of the combo is at the bottom of the screen, with two figures
to the right of it. The first figure - that under "Experience Cost" -
shows you how many experience points you have to give up in order to buy
this combo. The second figure - that under "Experience" - shows you how
many experience points you have amassed, and have available to spend.
You don't have to spend all your experience points at once - they will accrue
as time goes on. Therefore you MIGHT want to consider saving up for a bigger
and better combo - it really does pay off in the long-run ;)
... but for now ? Buy a combo if you like the sound of, and then let's get
back to the game !
> Head over to the hanging vines to the right of the campfire and Conan will
tell you that they can come down (hack them to bits to proceed).
> Slay the pirates in the next area (you can use RB to pick up and throw the
heavy rocks nearby if you wish, or slay them with combos and fatalities -
it's your call), but WATCH OUT for the one clad in brown - he is quicker
than the ones in white, and can block some of your attacks.
> From the fork in the road where you fought the pirates, take the road that
leads to the right, slay the 3 pirates by the campfire, and use the green
urn if you need to.
> Hack through the vines that lead to the beach, and open the chest for more
red runes (lovely lovely).
> Double-back on yourself and return to the fork on the road, before this
time heading down the left path.
> Ignore the pirates in the distance and instead hack through the vines that
are directly ahead of you as you come down this road. Inside you will find
a busty maiden shackled to the wall in need of your ... ahem ... attention.
==============
BUXOM BEAUTIES
==============
At various points in the game (you KNEW I would expand upon this bit didn't
you !!) you will find topless women chained to walls, trees and other areas.
You will receive plenty of red runes for rescuing them, not to mention (for
the horny young men of you out there) a stirring in your pants as they say
such charming things as "TAKE me and CRUSH me with your love" or "My clothes !
Where are my clothes ??", before standing and jiggling about a bit for your
bemusement.
*sigh*
Back to the game.
> Head back through the vines you just cut down, and then continue down the
path towards the large pirate gathering in the distance.
> Slay all the pirates in the area (noting that, initially at least, when
you despatch a pirate, another comes from one or t'other of the tents in
the area. That's fine - there IS only a finite supply of them.
> Once you have slain ENOUGH pirates, a pirate boss steps out from the far
tent and tells you you're going to die on this island (fat chance mate).
Beware when fighting the pirate bosses in Conan, as they are MUCH harder
to defeat than their minions. The best technique is to roll and block
initially until you have learned his moves (he has three main attacks -
a thrown explosive which takes a few seconds to detonate; a block-breaking
stab followed by a couple of sword strikes, and a set of four fast
strikes which you CAN block), and then (once you're comfortable taking
him on), hit him with two strong attacks and then roll away; then another
two strong, then roll away again. When his helmet falls off, he's half-
cooked so just keep it up ;)
> Use the green urn in this area if you need to, and then hack through the
vines at the back of the area.
> As soon as you enter this next clearing, an archer will hit you with an
arrow (it cannot be avoided). This is to teach you about blood loss from
leaving projectiles embedded in your manly flesh. If you are hit with an
arrow, press RB to remove it (and try and remember to remove it as fast
as possible to avoid bleed damage).
> Slay the archer (best way to avoid his arrows is to roll away from them),
and then dispose of all the pirates in the area PLUS the three archers
in the distance, taking the time to pick up the green urn if you need it,
AND one of the shields from the stand if you fancy it.
=================================================
NB. SHIELDS CAN BLOCK ARROWS - NOTHING ELSE CAN.
=================================================
> The large gate behind the three archers will open automatically as you
approach it and, as you walk through it, you are treated to a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan bumps (almost literally) into an archer who is fleeing toward the gate,
and slays him in fitting style. The archer was running from the Warrior Queen
A'Kanna (voiced over by Claudia Black of Stargate fame - Vala), who stabs his
comrade-at-arms with an arrow before notching another and taking aim at Conan.
After what can only be described as a "cute" exchange of words between them,
in which Conan offers to knob her off to demonstrate that he IS the man in
this relationship, A'Kanna suggests instead that he follow her to avoid the
black death that has swept the island, to save his own life (and perhaps
prolong the time the two of them spend together), bless her.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> In order to escape the island, A'Kanna needs you to find and release three
members of her crew, to man her ship. From where you start, head over to
the blue stone and press RB to use it - this will allow you to save your
current game (and I would suggest you do). Pick up the green urn IF you
need it, and then head over the nearby wooden bridge, to do battle with 3
pirates, and 1 pirate boss.
Take out the pirates first - it'll make your life easier, and WATCH OUT for
the little sh!t on the upper level that pelts you with arrows during the
fight as he is RATHER irritating.
> Grab the green urn under the balcony (if you need it), and open up the
chest beside it (the one hidden by the small wooden crates) to get plenty
of red runes (yay).
> Slash all three of the chains holding the stand together, and then jump up
(it will take two jumps) to get to the top level, and the bumhead pirate
that was shooting you with arrows beforehand. I'll leave it to you how
best to deal with him *looks away*
> Walk up to the nearby cage and press RB to grab the door, and then tap B
repeatedly to rip the door off its hinges, and free the first of the 3
crewmen.
> Head north (away from the camera) and drop off the ledge into the next
section.
> Head right, and all the way around the spiked central pillar before going
LEFT (ignore the right path for the time being), to slay the pirates there
and free the second of A'Kanna's crewmen (same method on the door again -
RB, Tap B).
> Use the green urn if you need to, and then head back to the right, this
time following the path to the right that leads in front of the waterfall.
Prepare yourself for quite a tough fight as there are no less than 16
pirates that will attack you on this narrow bridge !!!!!
> Keep heading right once you're done, and then around the spikey pillar in
the centre of the area, and finally north (behind the pillar) to the
platform with the level on it. Press RB to activate the lever.
> On this second level, keep leading left (slaying pirates as you go), over
the rope bridge and then up to the last platform, where the third of
A'Kanna's crewmen is being held prisoner. Find and release him (RB, Tap B).
--- CUTSCENE ---
One pirate ascends to your current level on a different platform to the one
you used to get up here.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Return to the south/right (the camera pans automatically), and slay the
pirate. Then take the platform HE used to get up here (it's just past the
rope bridge on the left-hand side), and press RB on the lever to get the
platform to descend, and prepare yourself for your toughest fight yet.
> There are 3 pirate bosses here, so stick and move as best you can (attack
one with two strong attacks, then roll away from all three, rinse and
repeat until one falls and then focus on his mates) paying PARTICULAR
attention to the locations of the other two AT ALL TIMES. Once they are
all dead, you get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Having liberated the three of A'Kanna's crewmen that were being held prisoner,
Conan and A'Kanna reach her ship. She says that she needs to free more of
her crewmen in order to ensure she has a full compliment of them available to
her on the open seas (perhaps the poor lass just gets lonely !?!?!). Conan
says that there's no WAY she'd survive long enough to liberate them, and that
he will go in her stead.
She says she'll sail behind him, and bids him use the "war machines" (mounted
turrets along the shoreline) to clear her path of enemy ships so that she can
follow him up the coast.
With that, he sets off.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
============================================================================
¦ 0 0 7 ¦
============================================================================
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
¦ ACT TWO - THE PIRATE RAID ¦
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans from A'Kanna's ship just off the shore, to Conan who is
standing on the beach.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Head forward and up to the green ring (your first Rune Triumvirate), on
the floor. The camera will pan around and a hint (and Conan himself) will
tell you that you must activate all three in immediate succession to turn
them on.
Walk up to the first one and press RB, then watch as green lines of energy
show you the way to the others. Walk up to the second and then press RB,
and then finally jump up to the next ledge and press RB at the third rune
triumvirate, and watch your health bar increase.
==============================================================================
NB. YOU MUST ACTIVATE ALL THREE CORRESPONDING RUNE TRIUMVIRATES AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE, AND WITHOUT ENGAGING IN ANY OTHER ACTIVITY INBETWEEN. THIS
MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD LOCATE AND CLEAR OUT ANY ENEMIES IN THE AREA SO THAT
YOU CAN ENSURE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO DO A QUICK 1, 2, 3 WITHOUT STOPPING.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL MEAN THE TRIUMVIRATE JUST DOESN'T WORK, AND MUST BE
RETRIED AGAIN ... AND AGAIN ... AND AGAIN UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT ;)
==============================================================================
> Follow the path northwards and slay the pirates, taking note that A'Kanna's
ship is, true to her word, sailing alongside you as you go.
> Keep following the path and Conan will say (as you enter the next area)
"These Corsairs have made their home in the ruins". Slay the pirates in
this area, taking care to avoid both the archers (they should be among your
first targets).
> Once they have fallen, grab the green urn (if you need it), and then jump
up onto one of the "mantle points" (outcroppings) in the wall at the back.
The game will give you a hint about this just to keep you in the loop ;)
> From here, jump up and then up again and you will get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans around to show a Corsair ship en route to do battle with that
of A'Kanna. A'Kanna's ship pelts the Corsair ship with arrows, but it does
not appear to be doing any appreciable damage.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Conan says "Blasted Corsairs ... I'll sink their ships !" as you take
control over him again. See that mounted turret in the background ? You
need to get control over that in order to sink the Corsair ship, but it
takes a fair while to move and load with bolts, so you need to slay the
pirates in the area first.
Do not dawdle though, since (as you can see at the bottom of the screen),
A'Kanna's ship has a health bar and it is reducing by the minute.
... and watch out for the archers !! ;)
> Once the area has been ... pacified ... move over to the mounted turret,
and press RB to take control over it. Use the left thumbstick to move it
(right turns it left, left turns it right), and then rotate the right
thumbstick to load it with a bolt (you cannot do both at the same time).
Once the turret is ready, press RT (the right trigger button) to fire a bolt
into either the front, back or middle of the Corsair ship. Repeat this
loading and firing process two more times (so that you hit the front, back
and middle once each) and you will sink the Corsair ship.
> Press RB to move away from the turret, and then head left to activate a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
A'Kanna sends a volley of arrows Conan's way to destroy the door that blocks
his path forwards, and he comments that she IS useful ... not that we thought
otherwise :)
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Go through the doorway that A'Kanna has just created for you, and activate
the blue stone to save your progress.
> Slay the pirates in the area whilst avoiding the archers - best way is to :-
a) Slay the pirates on the ground including those that spawn from the first
tent, whilst dodging the 3 archers;
b) Head up top and slay the 2 archers there and open the chest to get the
red runey goodness; and
c) Drop down and use strong attacks to quickly slay (don't bother grabbing
or using fast attacks against) the archer there. Take care when you
attack him, as a pirate boss exits the tent behind him to do battle with
you, and it's easier to despatch the archer before taking out the boss.
For calling A'Kanna a whore, this little MOFO deserves to die BIG stylee,
so I shall leave it to you to exact our bloody revenge upon him. *gets
out his GO TEAM SINISTER Pom-Poms and goes MENTAL whilst you do your thang*.
> Grab the green urn if you need it, and then follow the path to the right,
watching in glee as A'Kanna pelts the pirates (and pirate boss) standing
by the second mounted turret with arrows from her ship, weakening and
potentially killing some in order to aid you.
> Slay all the pirates and the pirate boss before taking control of the
mounted turret and taking out the Corsair ship in the area just as you did
with the first one (fire at the front, middle and back).
> Head to the left (and then forward down the path) and, where the path forks,
take the right-hand fork. Kill the two pirate archers, release the buxom
beauty, opening the treasure chest to get the reddy goodness, and taking the
green urn as your own ... ah, treasure =). There is also a shield stand
here if one of those takes your fancy.
> Return to the fork in the road and this time take the left-hand fork,
killing the pirates as you go, and following the path around to a gigantic
tree root, behind which (on a ledge higher than you, but not by much) two
archers are pelting you from their elevated position.
> Kill the pirates, jump up BEHIND the root and take out the archers, grab
the green urn, activate the blue stone to save your game, and then move over
to the tree to your left - the game will give you a hint that large objects
can often be toppled by repeatedly pressing the B button when you are next
to them (actually you must press RB to use the tree, and then tap B
repeatedly to push it over).
> The fallen tree will destroy a section of stone wall to your left. Climb
the tree trunk and traverse the now-broken wall, and turn and head left.
> Follow the path as it turns and take out the four brown-clad pirates in the
area before dropping down into the clearing.
> "Hmm ... Rats in the Rubble" Conan exclaims as you enter this area. Take
out the pirates and the pirate boss, and keep slaying them as there are,
as you will see, quite a few tents that respawn pirates for a wee while.
However, there is (as always) an end to the respawning process, so just be
patient and you'll do fine here.
Once you have slain enough pirates you get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan thinks he's on top of the situation, when a door in the distance swings
open and a pirate boss and two pirate archers run through to join the fray.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Once these three idiots have been slain (my advice ? Kill the archers first
AS always, and then focus on the pirate boss), move through the now open
doors they came through.
> There are two green urns to the left of the doors as you come in, but think
VERY carefully before using them, as there are a large number of pirates
atop the slope to your right ... perhaps use one if you really need it, and
keep the other for afterwards ?? ;)
> Slay the pirates, and then head back (if you followed my suggestion above)
and pick up the second urn (or both if you didn't use either).
> Head back up the slope, past the tents, and over to the large stone on the
right. Press RB to use the stone, and then tap B repeatedly to push it
over. This will trigger a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans to show you two turrets atop the platform you can now reach,
and then returns to Conan.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Jump and run up the slope to the right, and then turn and head over to the
stationery turret to your south.
> Press RB by the turret to activate it, and then turn it and shoot at both
of the sentry posts on the left and right of the bridge, to destroy them.
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE ARCHERS - THEY CANNOT HIT YOU FROM THERE.
> Once both the sentry posts are destroyed, a section of bridging will fall
into place, allowing the pirate boss on the far side to come across. Take
him and the archer that was standing inbetween the two sentry posts out,
and head over to the door at the far side of the bridge.
> Press RB to activate the door, and then tap B repeatedly. Then press the
left thumbstick forward (when prompted), and then tap B repeatedly again,
to get through (from this point on the doors start to become more
interesting to get through).
> In this next area, run to the right and take out the brown-clothed pirates,
taking care to avoid the archers who's arrows clip through the low wall ;)
Take out the archers once you're done with the pirates, and then follow the
walkway around to the right, taking out another set of brown-shirted
pirate DOGS before turning north and heading along a wooden, root-covered
walkway that leads down and into a clearing STOCKED with pirates and one
pirate boss. Slay them all.
> Walk over to the large, wooden double-doors just away from the clearing,
and go RB (Tap B, LS Forward, Tap B) to get through - please note that from
now on, LS = Left Thumbstick ;). Once through the doors, activate the blue
stone nearby to save your game, and then use one or both of the green urns
to stock up your health if you need to.
> Head right, and run down the slope and into the large cave that is set into
the mountain side. You will, at last, come to a grand arena.
============================================================================
¦ 0 0 8 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - BONE CLEAVER
Hokay, this is your first boss fight and, as with all your boss fights, it
begins with a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
You walk into a fighting arena, and the camera pans to show you a very large
gentleman with a fiersome-looking warhammer standing on the upper level of
the arena along with HORDES of pirates, looking down at you.
The man incites the pirates to attack you, claiming (rightly so) that you have
slain their brothers, and that they should have their revenge against you.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Another common element to the Conan Boss Fights is that they ALL take place
in multiple stages. Therefore, in order to make it easy for you to work
with, I am going to cite the stages and then go through them one by one :-
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - White Pirates
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - Brown Pirates, Pirate Bosses & Archers
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3 - Bone Cleaver himself
Take note of the arena and what is available to you - there are 2 green urns
and a wall full of spikes for starters.
Also BE ADVISED that the archers on the upper level do NOT shoot regular
arrows - they shoot explosive arrows, so be VERY quick in removing them from
your body if you get pegged by one or more or they WILL hurt.
===============================
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
===============================
The first stage of this boss fight is SO easy it's unbelievable - Bone
Cleaver sends a couple of waves of white-shirted pirates (the lowest of the
low) into the arena to do battle with you. They will cause you NO problem.
===============================
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
===============================
Once you have enraged him by slaying all his white-shirted pirates, Bone
Cleaver moves up to stage 2 - sending in wave after wave of brown-shirted
pirates, and a total of four pirate bosses (1 in 1 wave, 1 in a second wave,
and 2 in the final wave). His archers also start to pelt you with their
arrows, so keep on your toes and avoid the blast radius at all costs. Try
and avoid using either of the green urns during this stage if at all possible
as it is good to keep them for the Bone Cleaver fight proper.
Since the AI of your enemies is NOT generally particularly amazing, you can
lure them into the path of the explosive arrows to cause collateral damage
should you wish. Remember, SMART players get MORE ;)
===============================
BONE CLEAVER BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3
===============================
Once you have slain ALL his pirates (barring the archers on the upper level
and a couple of minions that are standing and watching you), Bone Cleaver
drops down into the arena and tells you that he's going to proudly display
your corpse from his axe (axe ??? It's not really an *axe* dude) before the
day is through, AND, more importantly, that he is the one that brought the
black death to this island.
============
BONE CLEAVER
============
First and foremost, Bone Cleaver CAN take damage from the archers who continue
to shoot their explosive arrows into the arena during the fight, so keep that
in mind.
Secondly, he is DECEPTIVELY nimble for a guy his size, and can attack you in
several different ways, including :-
A) An overhead smash and follow-up shove with his "axe";
B) Calling upon his archers to pelt the arena with explosive arrows;
C) A BEAUTIFUL side flip which, when he lands, sends out an earthquake.
To get around this one, jump ;)
D) A 4-hit combo which is slow but VERY powerful (the blade blur is orange
in colour) - you can easily roll away and, if you gauge his range just
right, you can be ready to strike back with a few strong hits once he
has completed the combo. All four of the hits are block-breakers, so
be aware of that.
The best technique to use against Bone Cleaver is NOT to try and combo him
too much - use strong attacks, hit once, gauge whether you can hit again and,
if you can, do so, and if you can't, roll away. Keep an eye out for when he
looks like he's about to jump and do his earthquake attack (C on the above
list), and jump over it to avoid irritation, and DO try and avoid his 4-hit
combo or you will be lifted into the air by the first hit, and that is ALSO
rather annoying.
Once he has taken about 75% damage, Bone Cleaver goes into a Blood Rage (he
displays a visible red glow, which fades to a white glow as the fight goes on)
and he becomes more aggressive for the last part of his fight, so beef up your
techniques for this last splurge.
=============================================================================
BE PREPARED TO PRESS THE B BUTTON ONCE YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY ALL HIS HEALTH, AS
THIS TRIGGERS HIS FATALITY CUTSCENE.
=============================================================================
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan repeatedly slams Bone Cleaver's head into his "axe" until he is well
and truly bested. As Conan is poised to strike the final blow, Bone Cleaver
disappears into nothingness, leaving behind a gauntlet which Conan immediately
recognises as his own.
The gauntlet is a piece of a complete set of armour - the one Conan was
wearing when he went to Balmoria, and which he later lost. As he slips the
gauntlet on, he beholds a vision of a great evil - a Sorcerer named Graven,
who HAD been held prisoner in a stone form until Conan inadvertantly set him
free, mistaking his prison as the vault for a jewel he was seeking.
Graven's reward for Conan was to knock him out, eject him from his tower, and
keep his armour for his own dark purposes. The little buggerhead !!
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Two.
============================================================================
¦ 0 0 9 ¦
============================================================================
ACT THREE - SAND VAULT
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan returns to A'Kanna aboard her ship, and she immediately lashes out at
him upon seeing him wearing the gauntlet. She says she has been looking for
it for some time and, when it appears obvious to her that she cannot overpower
him, she comes clean and explains to him that the black death beset her island
as well, turning good men mad, and filling their minds with bloodlust.
She intimates that the black death is not a disease, but a curse, and that
it is spreading like wildfire.
A'Kanna says that the curse can be broken, but only by the use of powerful
magic (which you now possess a portion of). She begs you to help her people
by returning with her to Parad Isle, and helping to destroy the black death
before it takes over your world.
You agree, but only so you can whoop some ass (and WHO can blame you !!).
--- END CUTSCENE ---
You regain control over Conan at the top of a sandy hill that descends toward
an archway, beyond which is a beautiful castle.
You should take immediate note that you have a new energy bar - it sits just
underneath your health bar. This bar, called the Song of Death Power Bar,
fills up as you slay your enemies and, once it is full enough, unleashes the
Song of Death (an enhanced fighting mode where your blades SING as they call
for the blood of your enemies, and where (visually-speaking) they leave some
BEAUTIFUL energy trails as you dance your ballad of carnage and woe).
You also do more damage ... just in case you were wondering ;)
To keep the Song of Death going, just keep killing things - the more damage
and death you deal out, the more you top up your Song of Death Power Bar.
I should have been a muse you know *sticks his thumbs in his lapels and grins*
> Run down toward, and through, the archway, straight into your first battle
with a NEW type of enemy ... the lion. Lions attack very much as you would
expect, and CAN be despatched really easily if you read my instructions
with care (or they CAN be a real pain in the arse if you don't).
There are two very efficient ways of dealing with lions :-
1) The hit-and-run, where you NEVER get drawn into hand-to-hand combat with
a lion, and instead hit with 1 strong, or 1-3 fast attacks and then
ROLL AWAY. This will trick the beast into counter-attacking, which
gives you a HUGE window of opportunity to do the same. Attack, roll,
attack, roll and keep doing this until the beast has fallen; or
2) Close-quarters, with HEAVY reliance on blocking to prevent you being
ripped into little pieces by the beast. Again, 1 strong or 1-3 fast
attacks and then BLOCK LIKE BUGGERY. Rinse, and repeat !!
Whichever way you choose to take him out, please pay attention to these
suggestions ;)
> Head over to the cart that is blocking the archway in the back of this area,
press RB to use the cart, and then hit Y at the appropriate time to push it
out of the way. The archway WILL collapse behind you, so you cannot go back
after this.
> Move around the cart and into your first encounter with the Stygians. They,
like so many of their kin, are encountered in different levels of power.
THESE boys (the one-handed weapon-wielding type) are the equivalent of the
white-clothed pirates from Act One. They are easily defeated, can be
thrown around and pose little problem - HOWEVER they do have stronger
attacks, including not-quite-unblockables-but-which-can-cause-your-guard-
to-fail-and-leave-you-open-to-further-attack stylee moves, aka block-
breakers, so be warned ;)
> Once you have slain all the Stygians, whom I shall dub the Stygian
Swordsmen, in this area, STOP. There is a green rune triumvirate here to
be activated so we should turn our attention to that now.
> Head over to the large, free-standing pillar on the right of the area (next
to the rubble), and use RB and then tap B repeatedly, to cause it to fall.
Two of the three rune triumvirate symbols are on the ground, but we'll start
with the hardest one to reach ;)
> Head up the newly-created slope, and hack your way through the iron bars
immediately to your RIGHT. Head in and pick up the two-handed weapon IF
you fancy it.
> Come out of that chamber, and head left (picking up the green urn ONLY IF
YOU NEED IT, as you are about to do battle with a concealed lion), past the
green urn (unless you drink it), and to the far left-hand iron gate.
Behind this gate is a treasure chest filled with red runes, and a lion that
is just WAITING to be released so it can claw you to ribbons. Break open
the doorway and slay the lion CAREFULLY, using the techniques I described
to you before. There are two vases to your left that contain green runes
should you need them, PLUS the green urn you probably didn't drink (I hope)
when you were coming to this chamber.
Crack open the treasure chest by where the lion was to get your goodies.
> Head now, at last, to the final chamber (the one to your right, but to the
left of where the green urn was), and hack the door to bits to get in.
THIS is where the third rune triumvirate is.
> Activate this rune triumvirate, then drop immediately down into the arena,
turn and head into the covered chamber just to your left at ground level to
activate the SECOND rune triumvirate, and then run to the right and jump
OVER the pillar you pushed over, to reach the third rune triumvirate.
Thus empowered, we can proceed !!
==============================================================================
NB. I should point out that completing a green triumvirate automatically heals
all your health, as well as extending its maximum level ;)
==============================================================================
> Head back up the slope you created by pushing over the pillar, and then turn
and head to the right, up the stony ledges, and over to the blue stone,
which you should use to save your game.
> Drop down into the courtyard below, and to your first battle with the SECOND
type of Stygian Warrior you will face, which I will dub the Stygian Pikemen.
Stygian Pikemen are NOT to be underestimated. They generally skulk around
letting others engage you ahead of themselves, but are fearsome combatants
who have the ability to fire bolts of green energy that sap your health
from a distance, and who have a number of two-handed combos they can use at
close-quarters. They also give comparatively little warning before they
attack with their melee weapons. Watch them in any group encounter, and
think of them as Pirate Archers on Steroids.
> Once you have felled all the Stygians in this area, head over to the cart
in the back of the courtyard, and use RB and then press Y at the right
moment to push it out of the way (and yes, again, the archway will crumble
behind you, blocking your return this way).
> Move around the cart, slay all the Stygians (Swordsmen and Pikemen), and
head over to the doorway, breaking open the vases for green health if you
need to.
> This is a new type of door by the way. To open it, press RB, then LS
forward, then LS backward, then LS forward (when prompted). Run to the
right once you are through the door, and you will get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans around to show you a massive wall in front of you with a
circular symbol in two halves. Obviously we are to do something with it.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Slay all the Stygians in this area (including the Pikemen that are standing
on the steps to the far left and right) before attempting to do anything
here.
There are 8 urns containing small amounts of green runes dotted around this
area, so use them wisely if need's be, and BE AWARE that once you have slain
the first wave of troops, another will come after you, so it's a slightly
longer fight than you might at first have anticipated ;)
> Once ALL the Stygians are slain, head over to either the left OR right set
of stairs, and use RB to activate the chain, and then tap B repeatedly to
move that half of the circular symbol to the centre of the room.
> Move across to the other side of the chamber as fast as you can and repeat
the process. The reason I asked you to slay all the enemies here first is
because this puzzle is on a timer, and if you take too long to complete it,
the first side will swing back to where it originally was (and that's rather
frustrating after a while).
--- CUTSCENE ---
A swirl of energy moves around the now completed symbol, and the sandpit in
the centre of the room disappears to reveal a hidden staircase leading down.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Head down the newly formed steps, and activate the blue stone to save your
game. Take the green urn here as well, if you need it. Then head through
the archway and you'll get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans around to show you the three cat heads (one MASSIVE one in
the centre of the room, and two smaller ones - one to the left; one to the
right).
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Two lions are released into the room, so strike, roll, strike, roll and
so on or go close-quarters and block, strike, block, strike and so on, until
they are both dead. Keep your cool and have fun with this fight ;)
--- CUTSCENE ---
The door to the RIGHT opens up
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Head through the door to the right, and around the corner to the right and
into the light. To open the door, go RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up.
> In the next room, take out the Stygian Swordsmen AND the Stygian Pikemen,
and then destroy the vases to get some green runes.
> Jump up onto the ledge at the back, and take out the Stygians here, whilst
trying to stop your jaw from dropping at the HUGE shadow of the Dragon from
the introductory cutscene to this level walking past the windows.
> Exit via the door in the left-hand wall (on this upper level - don't drop
back down). The door requires an RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up combo to get
through. Head down the steps once the door is open.
> You will enter a courtyard, where you will have to do battle with 2 lions,
and a few Stygians. Slay them all. There is a green urn up the stairs
to the right (as in diagonally right) of the stairs you took to get DOWN
here, and there are also a few vases in the same area just to bump up your
health that little bit more.
From the bottom of the stairs you took to get into this courtyard, go from
the camera (as in diagonally to the left of your starting point, through
the big archway) and, once you are sure the area is adequately pacified,
we will sort out the little puzzle that lies before us.
> Run to the back wall, and push over the pillar that is beside the crawlspace
there (RB, Tap B) - Conan will say "I need to get on top".
Once that pillar has fallen, head diagonally back across the courtyard, and
push the pillar that stands by the archway back up against the right-hand
wall (RB, Press Y).
Now, go back to the first pillar you pushed over, and use it as a stepping-
stone to get up to the higher ledge.
Destroy the two vases if you need any health, and then push the pillar on
THIS level (RB, Y), so that it falls into the courtyard below.
Drop back into the courtyard, and then jump up onto this last pillar that
you have caused to fall, and use that as the basis for jumping onto the
second pillar you used (the one you pushed back against the wall). BE
AWARE, however, that the clipping and camera angle in this area is quite
frustrating, so if it helps you, try thinking about jumping slightly AWAY
from the wall, so that you don't clip it mid-jump. Works a treat ;)
> As soon as you jump from this pillar up to the ledge slightly above you,
Conan exclaims "I see you dragon" (as the Sand Dragon walks along in the
background, knocking over loads of pillars as it goes). You are about to
be set upon by 2 Stygian Swordsmen and 1 Stygian Pikeman, so be forewarned.
There is a green urn here too, which you might want to use ...
> Head right (down the stairs), across the walkway, and then take the stairs
leading up, over another causeway WELL-STOCKED with Stygians for you to
kill =) and then keep going right as the camera pans, to open another door
(RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> In this next room (you're back in the main chamber with the three cat heads
on the wall, but at a higher level - level, in fact, with the two smaller
heads), turn and head left to take out the 2 Stygian Pikemen. Slay them
and, as Conan approaches the cat's head, he comments that its jaw should
come off. Hmmmmmmmm. Stand under the cat's head in the little white
circle, and press RB, LS Down, B, LS Down and watch the
--- CUTSCENE ---
The cat's head spits out a large quantity of some black powder, causing the
platform that stands in front of it to descend. As the platform goes down,
a set of stairs in the centre of the room partially forms.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Drop back down into the chamber, and head to the left (through the door that
has just opened in that wall).
> Kill the 3 Stygian Pikemen, and then crack open the 2 vases, green urn and
save the game.
> Head towards the cascading sands at the back of the room, and run to the
back wall. Conan will say "Nowhere to go but up".
> This is the first of quite a few sections where you have to jump and move
side-to-side to get through, by grabbing ledges. I shall keep my directions
as brief as possible for you :-
Starting on the lowest ledge (left-hand side of the back wall) :-
Jump (from the ground to the lowest ledge), Up, Right, Up, Up
> Hack through the two flimsy gates to find two treasure chests and a rack
holding 5 axes (in case you want to change styles or weaponry). There is
also a green urn on the main walkway just outside the two rooms.
> Run to the right along the walkway, and the camera will pan again. Conan
says "By Crom !!" (or it could actually be BYE Crom because the number of
times I have watched people die in this very simple area is MOST amusing).
Here are the instructions, but PLEASE BEAR IN MIND the timing :-
From ground level :-
Jump (from the ground to the lowest ledge), *wait for the black sand to
stop falling down the column immediately to your right*, Right, Up, *wait
for the sand to your right to stop*, Right, *wait for the sand to your
right to stop*, Right, Down, *wait for the sand to your right to stop*,
Right, Right, Right, Down to FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM !!
> Run right, and keep going around and to the right until you get to the slope
which goes down. Conan will say "Spill your guts, cat !" when he gets to
the bottom, and you should block IMMEDIATELY, as there is a lion very close
to you which will attack you imminently. Despatch it after blocking its
first attack.
> With the lion dead, head from the camera (behind where it was standing),
and open up the gate on the left-hand wall (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> Take out the Stygian Pikeman and drop off the ledge (how spectacularly you
choose to do that is entirely up to you of course), but be aware that there
are 2 lions waiting for you down below ;)
> Your objective here is to get the lowered platform along the left wall to
raise up so that you can proceed. To do this, stand on the three circles
in the centre of the room (easy peasy).
> Once the platform has raised, jump back up to the higher ledge, then over
the newly-erected platform, and then over to the far side where a further
Stygian Pikeman awaits you. Slay him, and then use RB on the chain and
tap B repeatedly, to drag the chain down and lock it. This will cause the
sand pouring down in front of the main exit to cease its flow.
Conan will say "This should do the trick".
--- CUTSCENE ---
Hey presto ! The sand that was pouring down in front of the main exit from
this chamber has stopped - we can leave !!
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Drop back down into the main chamber, and then head over to the opposing
wall, and jump up onto the pillar there (the wall adjacent to the black
sand that is still pouring down there).
From this pillar, jump up, and then (when the coast is clear), go Left,
Left, Left and finally Left, out the now cleared exit.
> Turn and head away from the camera, and open up the door on the back wall
(RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> You're back in the central chamber with the cat's heads again (although this
time you're on the other side). Slay the 2 Stygian Pikemen in the room
and then head over to the cat's head, use RB to activate it, then LS Down,
B, LS Down and you will get another
--- CUTSCENE ---
As with the first small cat's head on the other side of the chamber, this one
opens its jaw (or rather YOU opened it), and black sand pours forth, causing
the pedestal in front of it to descend, and the stairs in the centre of the
room to be completed.
The largest cat's head in the room opens to reveal a *shock horror* hidden
passage !!!!! =O
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Didn't see THAT coming did we ;) Drop down and then head up the newly-
created set of stairs, and through the big cat's head (you will have to
jump to get in by the way). Activate the blue stone to save your game,
and then open up the door along the back wall (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up),
and go through.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 0 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - THE SAND DRAGON
--- CUTSCENE ---
As you go through the door, you see a load of Stygians running around like
headless chickens on the other side of the archway that lies ahead of you. As
one of the hapless warriors heads through the archway towards you, the Sand
Dragon that you have been stalking spots it, lunges its head through the
archway, and gobbles him up, before breathing fire at you !!
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> The Sand Dragon is the second boss in Conan and, like Bone Cleaver, its
fight must be conducted in numerous sections. The sections are :-
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Head through the Wall
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - Chasing over the Rooftops
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3 - Open Air Platform Fight
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4 - Running the Gauntlet
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5 - Pillar Platform Fight
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6 - Scaling the Tower
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7 - Atop the Tower
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
==============================
Right, here we go. The Sand Dragon (because he is a rather DULL beast) has
stupidly rammed his head into the archway, and so doesn't have a HUGE degree
of room to manoeuvre in.
You are safe during this fight, as long as you stand right up against the
camera, so if you need to take a breather and get your bearings, head here.
The Sand Dragon attacks with a variety of biting attacks ranging from 1 snap,
to 2 snaps, to 3 snaps.
If you are a beginner then the best advice I can give you is to hang back and
watch his attacks to learn what they are, and then to rush forward (rolling
will close the distance reasonably quickly) and start unloading with the
strong hits, taking care to block his responses. If he knocks you back to
the camera, you will have had your block broken, and he will snap at you a
couple of times doing reasonable damage. If he knocks you to the side, you
should find you move that little bit closer to him (as in just inside the
crook of his neck), and can unleash HELL upon him no problem at all.
If you are adept at this game, then heed my advice for CRUSHING him :-
The safest place to do battle with the Sand Dragon from, is the top left-hand
corner of the area, as it is inside the crook of his neck, and he has quite
some difficulty snapping at you from there (but don't forget to block just
to be on the safe side). It is possible to do battle with him in this
position and take absolutely no damage during this stage of the fight.
Once he has taken enough damage, you will get a large health powerup, and he
will flail around for a bit before sinking his head to the ground. Run up
to him and press the button indicated, to begin the end-sequence for this
stage. You MUST hit the buttons in the right order, otherwise he will
throw you against the wall, and regain part of his health (meaning this
stage of his boss fight will become longer and harder than it needs to be).
Once you have correctly entered the commands (which will be Y, Tap B) you
will be HURLED up high into the air, and land on your back.
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
==============================
WASTING NO TIME, as the Sand Dragon is merely stunned, NOT dead, run to your
left (the camera pans), and keep going left until the ground breaks under your
feet and you slide down (Conan will say "I've GOT to keep moving").
Run to the left (Conan will say "This rooftop won't last", and keep running
to the left, jumping over two gaps as you go, and then having to jump up to
a slightly higher platform.
This leads you to the next actual fight with the Sand Dragon ...
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3
==============================
... the open air platform fight ! (Sorry, I really couldn't think what else
to call it !!).
The Sand Dragon has outpaced you, and must now be battered down again. He
rises up at the back of the platform you are standing on, all snake-like and
... snakey ... and engages you with a couple of nasty attacks, being :-
A) Expanding ring of flame (you will know he is about to do this because
he raises his head to the skies and glows with flaming energy before
breathing fire across the platform). This attack can be jumped over,
but your timing must be good.
B) Tongue Lash. He lashes out at you with his tongue. You CAN counter-
attack this move with the B button, but you must be VERY quick.
C) Bites. If you get too close to him, he will try and take a chunk out
of your manly butt with his snappy teeth - best dodged or blocked, and
I DON'T mean blocked with your arse ;)
As with the first fight with the Sand Dragon, as long as you stay as close to
the camera as possible, he CANNOT bite you. Therefore I would suggest
standing inbetween the two sets of black spiked railings, and jumping over
his flaming rings, and counter-attacking him. I wouldn't bother going in for
strikes unless you're brave, foolhardy, Spider-Man or on a VERY easy setting.
Once he has taken enough damage (from your well-timed counter-attacks or
other tomfoolery), he will once again slump onto the deck. Run up to him
and press the right combination of buttons when prompted (it will be X and
then B), and you will get up onto his head but, unfortunately, before you are
able to strike a killer blow, he comes to and shakes you off, causing you to
fly into a nearby building, smashing through one of the walls.
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4
==============================
From where you land, take out the Stygians and destroy the vases to get a bit
of green health, and then then run to the left and, when the Sand Dragon has
broken enough of this area for you to be ABLE to jump up, jump up the ledges
on the left-hand wall, and onto the platform at the top. DO NOT TRY AND
ENGAGE THE SAND DRAGON - JUST RUN AWAY FROM HIM.
When you reach the top (which puts you on a large wooden set of platforms),
run to the right and keep running until you can drop down the two wooden
platforms, to ultimately land (once again) on an open-air platform, which
leads us to ...
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5
==============================
... the Pillar Platform Fight.
As soon as you land on the platform the Sand Dragon's barbed tail will snake
up at the far end menacingly. Move to the far left corner, nearest the
camera to dodge the spines he shoots out, and he will make his slightly more
grand appearance, snorting at you before destroying the right-hand pillar.
You can do a LOT of damage to him at this point if you strike him from your
left-hand side whilst he's snaking up to do his first smash (of the right-
hand pillar), and if you remain in the top left-hand corner (retreating back
to behind the left-hand pillar when he raises his tail (until the left-hand
pillar is destroyed of course)), and time your rolls to avoid his head-smash
attacks, then you CAN defeat him in this stage without taking any damage
either !
His moves in this stage are :-
A) Rise up and slam his head down into the platform, causing a shockwave
which you can jump (you'll know he's about to do this as he snakes his
head veeeeeeeery slowly upwards before ramming it down);
B) Bites (in a number of different quantities, but as always he cannot
bite you if you hang around the back); and
C) Barbed Tail Spikes. He CANNOT hit you with them if you stay at the
bottom-left, AS LONG AS THE LEFT-HAND PILLAR REMAINS IN TACT. Once
THAT has fallen, try rolling to avoid the spikes as they hit all over
the bloody place.
Rush forward and hammer him with strong attacks, when he slowly raises his
head up get ready to jump away or roll away, as you won't be able to do him
any harm at that particular point in time, and when he drops down and the
tail pops up, get ready to either roll or jump away, unless the left-hand
pillar is up in which case hide in the bottom left-hand corner, nearest the
camera.
Once he has fallen, he chases you off the platform and onto a pillar, which
you cling onto and ascend, his response being to smack it with his tail,
causing it to fall into a set of wooden platforms built around ANOTHER tower
to the right.
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6
==============================
As soon as you are back in control of Conan, have him jump up to the first
ledge on the tower, then Right, Up, Left, Up, Left (if you want to get the
Treasure Chest) BUT DO NOT DAWDLE on that ledge as it crumbles rather quickly.
Assuming you've gone to the left and picked up the Treasure Chest, you will
then need to get back onto one of the central ledges to make the jump to the
pathway on the right. TO DO THIS, DO *NOT* JUMP - just run off the ledge,
aiming right and towards the centre of the pillar, and Conan should grab onto
the nearest ledge. If he fails to grab that one, there are two in line below
it, and he should grab one of those. If you jump then the odds are 95% likely
that you're going to plummet to your death.
Once you're on the central ledge to the left of the pathway that spirals off
to your right, jump to the right to get onto THAT pathway, and then follow it
as it snakes around the pillar upwards.
You will need to jump up onto one wooden ledge, and then over a reasonably-
large gap to another wooden ledge (which is made that little bit more awkward
because the camera is panning around the pillar as you go), before you reach
another section of ledges to jump around.
Jump Up, Right, and finally Up again to reach the highest platform, and set
the scene for ...
==============================
SAND DRAGON BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7
==============================
You will, I am sure, be ELATED to learn that this is the last stage of the
Sand Dragon Boss Fight ... WOOHOO !!
It's also one of the easiest, which is nice ... however if you don't know
what you're doing you WILL get battered, which is NOT so nice.
Your objective here is to knock the Sand Dragon back to the extent that he
backs off, giving you a little time to achieve 2 things. HOWEVER, the timing
of this stage of the fight means that you will have to do it like this :-
1) Knock the Sand Dragon back and stun him;
2) Achieve Objective 1;
3) Knock the Sand Dragon back and stun him;
4) Begin Objective 2;
5) Knock the Sand Dragon back and stun him;
6) Achieve Objective 2;
7) Sand Dragon FINALLY Dies.
The Sand Dragon's attacks in this stage are :-
A) Frenzied Tongue Lashing (block it to avoid damage and being drooled
all over, which is NEVER nice);
B) Biting (in various stylees) (block to avoid damage, but be aware that
if he hits you at the right angle he will break your block, and you
will take some damage);
C) Expanding Ring of Flame (as per the last time he used it - jump over
it to avoid it).
Once he has fallen back, smash your way through the wooden planks to the left,
and push over the massive rock (do not grab the green urn unless you need it -
remember you ARE running against the clock in this stage, and you do not
have enough time to pick up the green urn AND push over the rock). To push
over the rock, you need to "use" it with the RB button three times. This
will trigger a mini cutscene where you realise you are actually standing
atop a giant statue, and have just booted off one of its arms - an arm holding
some type of sword, which plummets to the ground below, sharp-end pointing
straight up ... hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Once you are back in control, and have activated this cutscene (by which I
mean if you chose to get the green urn you will have to knock the Sand Dragon
back again and kick off the statue's arm before proceeding), do battle with
the Sand Dragon again to knock him back, and then head over to the LEFT-hand
side of this platform, and use the controls (RB, rotate the right-hand
thumbstick like billio). This will cause a giant ball of stone to be raised
up, and gradually be pulled to the left. Odds are you won't be able to get it
all the way up this time around, and will have to face the Sand Dragon for
another bout.
HOWEVER, once you've knocked him back a FURTHER time, you should have ample
time to complete this, your second objective on this level (just keep rotating
that thumbstick) and, when you're done, you will get your VERY well-deserved
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan jumps onto the ball he has brought up, and cuts one of the support
cables, causing it to swing around. Using his weight to change its angle, he
brings it SMASHING into the back of the Sand Dragon, who, unable to maintain
his position atop the platform, falls down, becoming impaled upon the sword
below.
Not content with this being the Sand Dragon's end, Conan cuts the ball's
other support, causing it to smash down into the Sand Dragon's stomach, thus
destroying him utterly.
Conan finds another gauntlet lodged around one of the Sand Dragon's teeth, and
claims it as his own.
A'Kanna says that a NEW Power surges through Conan as he sees a glimpse of
the past ... of two brothers - guardians of the most ancient magic on earth,
who had taken a sacred vow to protect this power. She tells of how one of
the brothers broke their vow, and took the power as his own, losing himself
to its darkness and becoming possessed in the process.
He did terrible things as a result of the power he now wielded.
The scene then shifts to Conan coming back to A'Kanna on her ship. She
comments about his new attire, and suggests you sail to Stygia to obtain
the rest of your armour and slay the dread source of the curse, that you
might be free ...
... and then you boink her.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Three.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 1 ¦
============================================================================
ACT FOUR - TRIBAL WARRIOR
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan awakens, but A'Kanna is no longer in the bed. She has arisen and
readied herself for the day's toils. As she stands on the ship, bandits
move onto the deck and take her prisoned. Conan asks the crewmen what has
happened to her, and he learns that she has been taken prisoner, and is to
be sacrificed to the local tribe's Elephant God.
Unmoved by the suggestion of the crewman (that they let her die and keep her
share of the bounty for themselves), Conan stabs him in the gut, and then
commands the other crewmen to pilot the ship to land so that he may pursue
his lover of the moment.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
You begin this level in rocky terrain - a beaten path leading off into the
distance behind you.
A noise signals that you have attained a new power - your first of four Magic
Spells that you can utilise during the game - well done !!
Being as you only have the one spell at this point in time, it is depicted as
your active spell (the graphic in the blue circle in the top-left corner of
your status bar). The spell is called "Stone Prison" - a VERY handy little
power which creates a short-range cone of petrifying energy that will turn
any enemies caught within its radius to stone for a short while. Most regular
foes can be smashed to pieces with a few hits whilst in this state.
When you pick up additional spells, use the D-Pad to select which spell to
use. You will see from the graphic depicting the spell that there is a little
blue arrow pointing to the left ? This means LEFT on the D-Pad to select
this spell - it's really quite simple :)
One other consideration when using spells is that, as the astute player will
have already spotted, there is a new energy bar in your status bar at the top
of the screen as well - a BLUE bar that sits beneath the Song of Death Power
Bar.
The blue bar depicts how much magical energy you currently have to spend. You
can pick up extra energy from slaying enemies and smashing blue urns. (You
will find blue energy now forms part of the bounty you receive from certain
kills, so you don't really have to do anything SPECIAL to recharge this bar,
HOWEVER you should be aware that it will NOT recharge itself over time - you
must fill it to use it).
As the levels progress, so too will the level of the bar. At the moment you
have one level of charge, but ultimately you will get two, three and more.
Each spell takes more and more power to use, so whilst the Stone Prison spell
requires but one level of magic to use, the next spell you will learn will
require two, the third three, and so on.
To use the spell (which I wouldn't do until you're in combat, no matter how
much you want to test it out), press the LB button.
Righty-ho ! Ready to continue ? Let's kick some tribal ASS shall we ??? =)
> Run away from the camera (into the background), and a tip will pop up to
confirm (basically) what I've just told you.
> Test your Stone Prison power out on the lion by the campfire if you like -
he will make a handy test (just make sure you're in hand-to-hand range
before you let loose with the spell, or you'll waste it).
> Once the lion is dead, press RB by the campfire to pick up a burning torch
from the flames ... me likey !! =)
> If you want to see something REALLY nice, throw the burning torch into the
fire to see the sparks FLY !!
> Hokay sorry - letting the pyromaniac in me out to play for a sec *blush*,
we need to ascend, so jump up the ledges by the campfire and Conan will say
"This bramble will burn" (and you'll get a tip as well). Press RB by the
vines and they will ignite, allowing you to ascend further.
> Jump Up, and then Up again to reach a new plateau. You will be attacked
by a lion, but keep tapping the fast attack and you'll set him on fire - it
won't slay him but it will make him run around in a circle like a lunatic
which will make you laugh, and you can use fast attacks to snap at him
whilst he does so.
> Once the lion is dead, you should get your first blue rune from him, and
you will receive a further tip telling you that blue runes restore your
special armour (magic) abilities.
> Head to the left and the camera will pan to show you a tribal warrior
walking about beneath you. Drop down and slay him and his friend. Tribal
combatants come in three varieties which I shall quickly itemise for ease
of reference - those that I will call "Tribal Warriors" are bald, wear face
paint, and carry two-handed weapons; those I will refer to as "Witch
Doctors" wear large masks, and carry sword and shield; and those I call
"Tribal Hunters" look just like Tribal Warriors, but they use bow and arrows
to strike you from afar, switching to two-handed weaponry when you get
close enough to do battle with them.
> Once the two Tribal Warriors have fallen, either pick up the large boulder
that was lying on the floor in this area, or push over the large totem and
use its head as a throwing weapon, and lob whichever item you have picked
up at the tusk-gate to the left, to make your way through.
> As soon as you enter this new area (a tribal encampment), the camera will
pan just a touch so that you can see a campfire, a load of straw huts, and
a Witch Doctor exiting the nearest hut to you.
> Take out the Witch Doctor, bearing in mind that he is quick and dangerous,
and that you cannot throw him. Once he has been slain, grab a burning log
from the nearby campfire, and torch the hut the Witch Doctor came out of
to get yourself a green urn, which you should use if you need to.
> We are now going to take out the tribe in this encampment, and burn all
their homes (not very nice, but we ARE barbarians after all)
> As you move further into the encampment, you meet your first Tribal Hunter.
Be aware that if you try and throw the burning log at him, it throws LIKE
a log, so it doesn't just keep going - you must be reasonably close to him
for it to hit him ;). Also, as I've already said, be aware that when you
get close enough to him, he will sheath his bow and arrows, and whip out a
very nice two-handed weapon before trying to carve you into pieces ...
> There are two ways of proceeding in this area - you can either wade on into
the encampment and take out all the tribe in the area, and THEN burn down
their huts once they are finished spawning tribal warriors, archers et al.,
OR you can be more methodical, and take out each hut as you get to it, but
this is going to involve a fair bit of going back and forth to get new
burning logs from the fire ... your call.
In order to try and keep things simple, I am going to tell you that you
will find in the huts :-
[From there you enter this area - i.e. after you've ignited the hut above]
1st hut on the right - Blue Urn
2nd hut on the right - Empty
3rd hut on the right - Treasure Chest
1st hut on the left - Red Rune Triumvirate (1/3)
There is also a green urn hidden behind a large block behind, and inbetween
the 3rd hut on the right, and the 1st (and only) hut on the left.
There is also a buxom beauty to the right of the green urn (she doesn't
really have a lot to say until you free her) ;)
> Disregard the rune triumvirate for now - we cannot complete it yet, but we
WILL come back to it in a few. You can set alight to the brown grass if
you want to - just walk through it with a burning log in your hand.
> You will need to ignite the brambles to the left of the brown grass to get
into the next area of the encampment, but beware the Tribal Hunter that is
trying to pick you off with his arrows from the nearby structure.
> Once you are into this second encampment, you can just repeat your previous
performance, and either take out all the tribe in the area and then focus
on their huts, or take out the tribe and huts one by one. Be aware that
there are three additional structures in this area - two turrets for Tribal
Hunters to stand on and shoot arrows from, and one area which is more like
a drape-covered caravan, with some vases beside it.
When taking out archer turrents on this level, you have two options - you
can either burn them (killing the archer in the process), or you can press
RB and then tap B by them to pull them down, but then you have to do battle
with the Tribal Hunter hand-to-hand.
As with the previous area, here is what you will find in the huts, working
your way around from the first archer turret counter-clockwise around the
encampment :-
1st Archer Turret - Nothing
1st Hut on the right - Treasure Chest
2nd Hut on the right - Red Rune Triumvirate (2/3)
Draped Caravan Thing - Treasure Chest
3rd Hut on the right - Treasure Chest
1st Hut on the left - Treasure Chest
Now that we have uncovered the furthest red rune triumvirate from the two
in the previous section (the one I specifically mentioned to you, and the
one you probably stumbled upon yourself), we can activate this triumvirate
soooooo ... if you would like to activate the red rune triumvirate that you
find in this SECOND encampment first, and then run back to the first rune
triumvirate we found together, and then finally follow the red energy line
that runs from that triumvirate back towards where you started the level,
then you will find and be able to activate the third triumvirate, and obtain
a healthy boost to your Song of Death Power Bar.
> From the third red rune triumvirate, head back to the second tribal camp,
and run all the way to the left, to the far side past the first hut on the
left from my list above, and over to the horizontal tusk gate, you will see
that there are two levers, one on either side of the door. Use RB to call
Conan to use the levers, and then tap B to push them into their locked
position (you will need to lock both sides in order to proceed).
> Follow the path and you will be set upon by 2 lions (1 from in front, 1 from
behind). Perfect opportunity for a Stone Prison Spell non ?? Once they are
dead, head further down the path and you will come to a set of ledges
leading up a rock face, with a couple of Tribal Warriors standing atop it.
You have a choice - you can either go up there (which is what I am going to
do, or you can carry on the way you were going - this area is a loop, so you
will wind up coming back on yourself).
I'm going to (as I said) head up those ledges and take out the Tribal
Warriors ... *does what he said*. Now, carry on on this new plateau, taking
out the Tribesmen (Witch Doctor and some Tribal Warriors) along the way.
> Burn down the two huts to receive a blue urn and a green urn, and then push
over the large totem (RB, Tap B) to cause its head to fall down to the
valley floor below.
> Take out the Witch Doctor and Tribal Warriors (you may as well use your
Stone Prison Spell here), and then burn down their hut to receive a
further blue urn.
> Either burn down or pull down the archer's turret and slay the archer.
> Head back down the path on the valley floor towards where this loop started,
MAKING SURE that you have a burning log in your hand, and you will find that
you come to an area where the camera pans up to show you a higher ledge.
Burn down the bramble to access the ledges that you need to use to get to
the top and, when you get there, you will find a blue urn, a green urn and
a treasure chest.
> Drop back down to the valley floor, and head back to the area you just left
and use the blue stone to save your progress.
> Use either the totem's head that you caused to drop down onto the valley
floor, or the large stone block that is lying by the tusk gate, to smash
the gate so that you can proceed.
> Take out the Witch Doctor and the Archery Turret, and proceed onward to do
battle with another set of Tribesmen (this must be on HELL of a large
tribe !!) - this time a Witch Doctor, a set of Tribal Warriors and 2 Lions.
In the area where you fight the lions (around and to the left), there is
also a buxom beauty and a treasure chest.
> Since the bridge has been taken out of play by the tribesmen, you will have
to use the ledges available to get across. Therefore, if you go to where
you WOULD have been able to get across the bridge and head to your left,
along the edge of the chasm, you will find your first ledge in the wall.
You must jump and then tap B to ascend (a new technique in this setting,
and one you will be using again and again in the future, so try and get it
right) ;). Then, once you are on the ledge, jump to the right and tap B
to ascend again, and then keep jumping up and right (trying your best to
time your jumps so as to avoid the arrows from the two archers' turrets as
you go), and then finally you can drop down behind a large boulder.
*wiggles his eyebrows*
You KNOW what's coming next. That's right boys and girls !! RB on the
boulder to use it, and then press LS Down, Tap X, LS Down, Tap Y and the
boulder will roll down and crush both the archery turrets. BONZA !!
> Drop down and head into the LOVELY archway which looks like a misshapen
mouth (the entrance to ANY evil deity's lair MUST be a scary thing or so
help it).
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan frees a buxom beauty from her shackles, and she tells him that the
tribe are already killing the women up ahead in the cave. Conan heads off.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Run forward and use the blue stone to save your game. Go forward aways, and
you will be ambushed by a Witch Doctor and a Tribal Warrior. The Witch
Doctor taunts you, saying that you're already too late to save A'Kanna.
> Run forward, ignoring the buxom beauty and the structure she sits upon, and
keep going down the path, and Conan will say "there's the entrance". Keep
going until you reach the large set of three circles, the nearest one to
you having three small circles atop it - one red, one blue, one yellow.
> Stand upon the yellow circle, and you will get a brief ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans to show you that the structure you have just run past changes
form, as a windchime structure arises from its top.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Turn and head back to the structure, taking out the newly arrived Tribal
Warriors as you go. Jump up onto the first ledge and save the buxom beauty
from her imprisonment, and then jump up again and finally one more time to
reach the windchimes at the top.
As you can hear, they are out of sync.
Pull both the chains down and lock them in position (RB, tap B), and this
will make the sound considerably more harmonious.
> Drop down to the valley floor and run back to the three circles, and you
will see that the circle closest to the entrance has arisen and cannot be
reached, and furthermore that the blue circle on the first large circular
step has also raised up slightly. Step on this blue circle to get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera shows you the direction in which you must travel to reach the
second tower.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Follow that path, taking out the Witch Doctor, Archery Turret (and Hunter),
2 huts (one of which spawns Tribal Hunters; the other a Witch Doctor), and
SECOND Archery Turret.
The 2 huts give you a green urn and a treasure chest.
When you are done, ascend the second tower and, when you get to the top,
do a repeat of your performance at the first tower to lock the chains (RB,
tap B) and you will see the second large circular platform raise up in the
distance, and two Witch Doctors come scuttling towards your position to
await their turn to dine at Crom's Table *balls his fist up and slams it
into the desk*
> Drop down, slay the Witch Doctors, and head back to the central area, making
sure to push over the large totem you encounter on the way, and when you get
there, activate the third and final circle - the red circle.
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans to show you the third and final tower, and the windchime
structure arising on its top.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Run back to the now demolished totem, grab its head and use it to smash your
way through the tusk gate that blocks your path to the third windchime
tower.
Head through the demolished gate, taking out the Witch Doctor and two Tribal
Hunters as you go. There is a green urn here should you need to use it.
> Ascend the third and final windchime tower and, when you get to the top,
use and lock both chains (RB, tap B) to align this tower's windchimes as
well. As with the second tower, you will see the column rise in the
distance, and some Tribal Warriors heading over to your area to do battle
with you.
> Run back to the newly-erected tower, and ascend to the top (there are
ledges cut into the side which you might miss at first, but which are
really quite obvious when you stop and look at it). Once you get to the
top, run towards the entrance and a small ARMY of tribesmen will pour out
to do battle with you. Specifically there are 3 Witch Doctors and 4 Tribal
Warriors.
The easiest way to slay them is to wait on the three-circle bridge that you
are currently standing upon, and the Witch Doctors will come forward, but
they will be unable to climb up onto the bridge to do battle with you.
HOWEVER, you can stand at the edge of the bridge, and cast your Stone
Prison spell, which will turn all three of them to stone to be smashed by
your blades.
Once THEY are down, the others will not present too much of a problem for
you, I am sure.
> There is a green urn and three small statues which contain green energy
on these steps.
> Head through the door (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up), and you complete this
act.
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Four.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 2 ¦
============================================================================
ACT FIVE - ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD
--- CUTSCENE ---
A set of tribesmen peg it as far and as fast away from you as they can, crying
"He's come for HER". The camera then pans up to where you are standing.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
=============================================================================
NB. THERE IS A LOT OF BLACK TAR IN THIS ACT, AND YOU SHOULD AVOID STEPPING IN
IT WHEREVER POSSIBLE, AS IT IS ACIDIC, AND WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOU WHILST
YOU ARE IN IT.
=============================================================================
> Follow the path down and through the archway. As you approach, there is a
rockfall from the ceiling above, and the archway is blocked. A large,
lumbering ape-like beast (which I shall call an "Gorilla Man") comes
charging towards you, scraping his knuckles on the ground as he goes ...
These guys are TOUGH to fight, because they have a really annoying close-
quarters attack which replicates a Gorilla's punches somewhat. It can hit
you multiple times and do quite a bit of damage AND annoyance, so be aware
of that. Strong attacks work best, as does stick-and-move play.
If he jumps up, he's about to pound the floor and cause a minor earthquake
so you should jump out of the way or roll away to avoid taking a lot of
damage. He also has a couple of brutal arm swings that can ruin your
afternoon.
> Once he is dead, stay on the path, but follow it like a big U-turn rather
than going over to the archway, and you will run past a green rune
triumvirate (which you can ignore), and up to a rockface with a ledge in
it, which you need to climb. Jump, tap B, then Up again.
> Once you are here, use RB on the boulder to activate it, and then LS Down,
tap X, LS Down, tap Y and the boulder will roll down and smash its way
through the archway for you.
> Activate the green rune triumvirate up here, then drop back down to the
cave floor below, activate the green rune triumvirate there, and then run
back to the archway to activate the third and final green rune triumvirate
and earn yourself a health boost.
> Head through the archway to get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan enters the chamber to the calls of the Tribesmen who say "the Woman is
OURS" (shyeah RIGHT !!). A'Kanna (GO GIRL !!) boots one of them in the chops
and chides the others, saying they should come closer so that she can kick
their teeth in ... we love her :)
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Take out the Witch Doctor and the 3 Tribal Warriors, and then 2 Gorillamen
enter the fray !! Slay them as well, and then you get another
--- CUTSCENE ---
An extra Gorillaman springs into action, grabs A'Kanna and jumps down a huge
drop with her in his arms ... filthy BEAST.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Use the green urn on the ledge to the right if you need to, and take the
sword or shield that are on the same ledge if you like. Then, when you
are ready, drop down in pursuit of A'Kanna and the Gorillaman that took her.
> Take out the 2 Gorillamen in this first area, and smash the small pillars
that glow slightly green and have skulls set into them for some probably
much-needed health.
> There is also a green urn here which you might well want to use.
> When you are ready to proceed, go over to the bright, sparkly chain that
seems to be holding up the wall of skulls, and strike it with your weapon.
Then press RB, and finally tap B to pull a chunk of it away and reveal a
gateway for you to go through.
> You drop off a ledge and into a large chamber, only to realise you have been
pursued by 2 Witch Doctors and 2 Tribal Warriors !! "You've come back for
more ?" Conan asks (and I agree - we've whupped the TAR outta these guys
before - let's show 'em how it's done !! G'wan) :)
> Once they are dead, head around to the left, and take out the Gorillaman
Lobber (a new type of enemy for you - basically a white-furred Gorillaman
that picks up boulders from the earth itself to lob against you) - attack
him with strong attacks and crowd him to try and get him to back off to
give you the edge in combat and beat that mutha DOWN.
> Once he has fallen, run up the slope beside him and take out the Gorillaman,
(preferably by using your magic spell), and then venture into his cave to
free the buxom beauty and use the blue urn to replenish your magic energy.
There is another attack coming your way so be prepared to be ambushed by
another Witch Doctor and a Tribal Warrior. Once they are dead, head to the
right and use the green urn there.
> Save using the blue stone, and then head back down the slope, taking out the
Gorillaman and 2 Tribal Warriors that try and ambush you AGAIN from behind,
and picking up the green urn if you need to.
> Keep heading around to the left, taking out ANOTHER Gorillaman, and you will
at last come to a red-headed buxom beauty, and another chain in the wall.
Save her, then slash and pull the chain (RB, tap B), and go through the
gate you create to do battle with YET ANOTHER Gorillaman (there is a blue
urn in his cave), and then head down the slope, hugging the black river
as there is SO obviously another Gorillaman waiting in ambush there for you
it's UNREAL.
Slay him, and enter his cave to obtain a Treasure Chest and a blue urn.
> Continue further into the area, and just behind the blue rune triumvirate
you will find another Gorillaman lying in ambush. Take him out and then
rescue the buxom beauty here (she's just to the right of his cave). Ignore
the blue rune triumvirate at this time.
> Jump up the ledge beside her (jump, tap B, then Up again) to reach the next
ledge above you. Here, take out the Gorillaman that will try and ambush
you, and then turn and run towards the camera and over the bridge, slaying
the Gorillaman Lobber and picking up the blue urn and the green urn as you
go.
> Head over to the boulder, and take out the additional Gorillaman that tries
to ambush you (FOOLISH beast). Use RB on the boulder, then LS Down, tap X,
LS Down, tap Y to unsettle the boulder, and send it crashing down towards
a structure below you.
> Run down the slope after the boulder and dispose of the Gorillaman Lobber
that comes out of the cave on your left. There is a second blue rune
triumvirate in the building that you just knocked a huge chunk out of with
the boulder, but again we must ignore it at this time.
> Slay the large number of enemies that come at you from the right (including
Witch Doctors, Tribal Warriors and 2 Gorillamen), and then run to the right
and back across the open area, to reach the first blue rune triumvirate,
which I STILL do not want you to activate yet. Grumpy, aren't I ;)
From there, move to the detailed structure immediately to Conan's right, and
the head to the right of it, and the camera will pan. As the camera pans,
head directly towards yourself - i.e. into the camera, and keep coming
down until you reach what looks like a poorly-placed section of tiling on
the floor - it looks almost like a bigass jigsaw piece to be a bit more
elaborate.
From there, head left, and you will find a blue urn, a statue with a bit of
green energy in it, and a shield on the floor. Use whatever you wish, and
then keep heading left, and over into the nearby cave, using both the green
urns if you wish.
Once you have done all the OTHER actions you might want to do here, activate
the blue rune triumvirate (1/3), and then double-back on yourself to the
rune triumvirate we found first in this cave and activate that (2/3), and
then finally head left and into the structure you destroyed, to turn on the
third and final blue rune triumvirate (3/3), and earn another level to your
magic energy bar.
> In this structure you can also avail yourself of a green urn should you wish
to. Once you're ready, use RB on the chain and then tap B repeatedly to
lock it into position, and open up the door to allow you to proceed.
> Be aware that as you approach the door to get through, you are going to be
ambushed by 2 Witch Doctors, 1 Gorillaman, and 1 Gorillaman Lobber, so be
prepared.
> Once they are defeated, pick up and lob as many of the boulders that are
blocking your path through the door as you need to (whilst A'Kanna tells you
that she is in there, and that they are going to sacrifice her to their
Elephant God - TELL US SOMETHING WE *DIDN'T* KNOW LOVE !!!!!), and then head
through - the door is a standard RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up combo.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 3 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - ELEPHANT GOD (AKA ELEPHANT DEMON)
Hokaaaaaaay then ! As you enter this area, drop down from the ledge and you
will get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan sees A'Kanna shackled across a large expanse of black tarry muck, quite
obviously housing the corpse of a gigantic elephant. She calls out to him,
and he begins to approach, but as he does so the tar magically turns blue,
breathing life to the husk that is the Elephant God.
It arises from its dark slumber, and prepares to do battle with our intrepid
hero.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
As with every boss fight (as you know), the Elephant God Boss Fight is
divided up into multiple sections (only 2 this time around though), being :-
ELEPHANT GOD BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Meet and Greet
ELEPHANT GOD BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - The Puddle Fight
===============================
ELEPHANT GOD BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
===============================
In this first stage of the Elephant God Boss Fight, he exhibits the following
main attacks :-
A) Tusk Slam (he slams his massive tusks sideways into obstacles, leaving
him vulnerable to counter-strikes during the lag);
B) War Cry (he blasts blue, sonic energy in a narrow cone-shape ahead
of him - you WILL take damage if you are in a direct line from it, so
BE SOMEWHERE ELSE); and
C) Stomp (he rears up and slams his hoofs down causing a shockwave to
emanate from the point at which he lands - jump or roll away to dodge).
Your objective here is to sever both the chains on the upper left and right
platforms. You won't be able to reach them without the help of the Elephant
God, so here's what I would like you to do.
1) Lure the Elephant God to either the left, or right-hand side of the
reasonably small arena in which you are currently combating him;
2) Do enough damage to him for his eyes to turn red, meaning a) he's
p!ssed off, and b) he's about to do a stomp and clear you a pathway
to the ledge on whichever side you are on.
3) Jump or dodge his stomp, and then vault over the now cleared area,
to get to the bottom of the platform.
4) The Elephant God will do a Tusk Slam (which you should avoid,
obviously) and then, when he is lodged against the wall, press the A
button when prompted to vault up onto him, and then press A and
whichever direction you need to, to jump up onto the platform nearby.
5) Destroy the small statue to release some green energy, and then cut
the chain, to cause a burning urn to drop down from above into the
black tar, hurting the Elephant God and causing him to yank himself
free of the rocks, tearing off one of his four massive tusks in the
process (OUCHIES !!).
6) Go back to 1), and do 1-6 for the other side of the arena.
Once he has lost two tusks, he screams and falls (apparently dead) back into
the black tar, forming a rather neat bridge for you to traverse to reach
A'Kanna. Move over him, and you can proceed to ...
===============================
ELEPHANT GOD BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
===============================
--- CUTSCENE ---
As Conan strides confidently over the Elephant God's Corpse, it arises once
again behind him, ready to do battle with him anew.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
I have named this stage the Puddle Fight because the area in which you are
able to stand is not entirely safe - there are a number of black tar puddles
that you need to locate and avoid stepping in (they are at the back of your
area), and this can make moving to avoid the Elephant God a bit more taxing
than it was in the first stage.
In this stage the Elephant God exhibits the following attacks :-
A) War Cry (as per his attack in stage 1) - dodge it but be wary of
stepping into the black tar;
B) Stomp (same as before, but this time instead of causing a shockwave,
it causes rocks to fall from the ceiling down upon wherever he lands,
so be aware of that); and
C) Head Slam (he rises up and slams his jaw down into the ground, causing
a shockwave to emanate that throws you up into the air if you are hit
by it - jump or roll to avoid).
Go for strong hits on the schnoz (the nose) whenever you have the chance, and
ALWAYS be prepared to roll away if he rises up to do a War Cry or Stomp.
When you have done enough damage to him, his eyes will once again turn red,
and he will drop to the ground, with you being invited to execute the commands
B, A, Y, Y to sever the third of his tusks (poor lad - I actually do feel
really quite sorry for him) from his head.
You then need to do exactly the same thing again, but this time instead of the
previous set of button commands, you need to go B, X, B, B to sever his fourth
and final tusk from his head.
*sniff* *sniff*
This takes you onto the final piece of this stage, where you must do 100%
damage to the Elephant God (which will cause the two last little bits of his
two severed tusks to drop off), ending his undead existence, and trigger a
final cutscene.
============
HELPFUL HINT
============
Marc has been in touch with me to suggest an alternative way of engaging the
Elephant God during this second-stage of the Boss Fight. He says :-
"I did find a useful glitch in the second half of the elephant demon boss
fight. It will let you do that stage of battle taking virtually no damage.
As you know, there are three green flecked stalagmites available during the
second stage of the battle available for you to break and gain health.
Looking over Conan's shoulder, facing the lake and the skeletal pachyderm,
there would be one stalagmite toward your left and two to the very extreme
right. If you break the one on the right closest to the lake, it is possible
for Conan to stand in the space it occupied and be immune from anything the
elephant demon can throw at you; nothing it does can hurt you there. You are
still vulnerable to rocks falling from the ceiling, but you don't get hit
often, and damage is minimal. All you have to do is wait until the elephant
slams it's head down and keeps it there, then you run out and do damage.
When the elephant raises its head, simply retreat back to your safe spot and
wait for the next attack opportunity. This worked like a charm for me and I
took virtually no damage doing this, at least in the second half. Couldn't
find any easy solution to the first part, though"
Thanks Marc !! =)
============
Once the boss fight is complete, as I say, you get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The Elephant God rears up, and a brilliant blue light begins to emanate from
his head. The light gets stronger and brighter, until it results in an
explosion that decimates the Deity, leaving his lifeless husk of a body afloat
in the black tar that spawned him.
Conan frees A'Kanna, and she praises his fearlessness, before spotting his
leggings on the ground nearby.
As Conan reaches out to take his prize (THE LEGGINGS YOU PERV), he gets
another flashback.
This time the scene depicts Graven - the corrupted brother, and by now the
most powerful wizard on Earth, in his quest to become truly immortal.
Graven sired many children, and took to slaying them to preserve his own
lifeforce. However, one child escaped - a little girl, who was spirited
away to safety.
That girl is the Warrior Queen, A'Kanna.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Five.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 4 ¦
============================================================================
ACT SIX - MIDNIGHT RAID
--- CUTSCENE ---
A'Kanna's ship once again sets sail for Stygia, aware that somebody there is
already looking for Conan's Enchanted Armour. A'Kanna prays that it is the
Sorceror Graven himself, as she wants for nothing more than to put an end to
his miserable existence.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
As you begin this new Act, you are gifted a further spell - this one is called
"Rain of Fire" and, when it is activated, Conan jumps and slams into the
ground, causing meteors to strike the earth in close proximity to him at
random points, doing hefty fire damage to anybody caught in the radius.
The Rain of Fire Spell costs 2 Magic Bars to use (you will spot that you are
given a further magic bar to use from now on which, if you followed my guide
about the blue rune triumvirate in the Elephant Graveyard, means you now have
3 Magic Bars available to you), and can be accessed by pressing Up on the
D-pad.
Before we begin, I would like you to familiarise yourself with changing spells
so if you could please press LEFT on your D-pad to access your Stone Prison
spell ? That's good, thanks - and now press Up on the D-Pad to access your
Rain of Fire Spell ? Thaaaaaaaaaat's great, ta.
You can switch spells as often as you like, but be aware that you cannot cast
a spell unless you have enough magical energy to do so. Therefore with 3 bars
you could cast both spells once each.
... or the Stone Prison spell three times ... ;)
Right ! Onward to victory !! =)
> From where you start, head away from the camera and up the ledges (don't
forget on those close-grip rocks you will need to tap B to ascend), until
you reach the higher plateau.
> When you do, you will come to a craggy area with a steep drop into a chasm
below, and a boulder on the path to your right.
Drop down into the chasm, and go left to get to a treasure chest. There
is a red rune triumvirate here, but you can ignore that for now.
> Climb out of the cave from the right-hand side again (and be prepared to
screw this bit up multiple times, so take a deep breath).
> In order to complete the red rune triumvirate, we need to get across to the
second ledge on the right-hand side, so I'd like you to pick up and throw
away the boulder on the path to the right, and then do a running jump to
get onto the close-grip section (best not to hug the wall here - go from
the left-hand edge of the path on the right into the close-grip rocks, or
you won't make the distance). DON'T FORGET TO TAP THE B BUTTON WHEN YOU
GRAB THE ROCKS, or you'll fall off (much to your irritation).
Once you've ascended the close-grip rocks, jump off and to the left.
> You can see the other 2 red rune triumvirates from here, and these are the
2 we should focus on getting first, so if you would like to jump across the
chasm and onto the ledge on the left (back up to the right wall first to
give yourself a little run-up).
Activate this rune triumvirate, and then head onto the next ledge away from
the camera, before dropping down to activate the second rune triumvirate,
and then doubling-back, dropping into the chasm below, and using the third
and final red rune triumvirate to boost your Song of Death Power Bar.
> Get back to the second red rune triumvirate (ascend from the chasm, back
over the close-grip rocks and ledges and over to the far side), and then
use RB and tap B repeatedly on the chain, to open the doorway, and your
path forward.
> The door slams shut behind you, and a mini-avalanche takes place in front
of you so don't run forward TOO fast. It's actually fortunate, as you need
one of the rocks to smash through the wooden gate to get to the next door
(which, again, is a RB, tap B door).
> Go through THAT door, and you will find an encampment, and head into your
first battle with the enemies on this level, which I shall name "Stygian
Elite Swordsmen", and the Stygian Pikemen you have fought previously. The
Stygian Elite Swordsmen are the ones to watch out for, as they are RUTHLESS.
They are quick, dangerous, have both block-breakers and blocking abilities,
are armed with sword and shield, and can use an irritating magical attack
that they fire from their shields (it looks like green fairy dust) which
befuddles your control method for a few seconds. WATCH OUT FOR THEM AT ALL
TIMES.
The key thing to remember during this fight is CROWD CONTROL. You can hit
the campfire if you need to, to cause the sparks to ignite any nearby
enemies, but you can only do this once - therefore the campfire is a good
place to stage an attack when you begin to become overrun with the
respawning enemies that come from the tents. ALWAYS keep an eye on the
Stygian Pikemen, as they will retreat and pelt you with projectiles no
problem at all.
Once they are all slain, burn down all the tents, and pick up, from the very
far left-hand corner of this encampment (where there is a burning pedestal
and a blue urn) :-
Blue urn (from that location)
1st hut on the north wall - Treasure Chest
Blue Stone (save your game here)
2nd hut on the north wall - Nothing
Green urn
3rd hut on the north wall - Treasure Chest
4th hut on the north wall - Nothing
1st hut on the east wall - Treasure Chest
Green urn
2nd hut on the east wall - Nothing
> Once the camp has been silenced, use the chain (located behind two barrels
in the wooden housing inbetween the tents on the north and east walls (top
right-hand corner of the camp)) - RB, tap B - and head down the pontoon
towards the ship that is docked there.
Conan will say "I must destroy this warship !" (and so we shall).
> First, clear out the pontoon - there is a buxom beauty, together with a
green urn and a blue urn, at the far end of the pontoon.
Once the pontoon is clear, head onto the boat. The way to sink the warship
is by igniting the bundles of cargo (1 on the main deck, 2 in the hold
below) with torches from the wall-brackets, OR by using your Rain of Fire
Spell, although this is a bit of a waste.
Watch out for the Stygian Archers, as they fire flaming arrows at you,
although you will (I am sure) be glad to hear that they don't draw out
different weaponry when you get too close to them - they're just crap
basically.
On the main deck there are also two weapon racks holding axes, which you
MIGHT want to avail yourself of - it's your call.
My advice is to take out all the Stygians on the main deck (and up the
stairs on the right), and then grab a lit torch from the wall and ignite
the cargo bundle on the main deck (it's just behind the mast).
Once this bundle has been lit, head down into the cargo hold (technically
there are 2) via the LEFT-hand door, and you will find (lo and behold) that
there are no bundles to set fire to. There ARE, however, 2 treasure chests
to be had, so crack those open and slay anybody that stands in your path.
Then return to the main deck again.
Once you've done that, head down into the cargo hold on the RIGHT-hand side
of the deck (press RB to smash open the wooden door that takes you down
there.
Once you are in there, pick up the green urn and ignite the two bundles
of cargo in there (don't worry if the torch breaks, there is another on
the stairs leading down to the bundles in this room) and, when you're done,
head back up to the main deck.
> As you approach the ramp to get off the ship, you get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
The mast breaks and Conan narrowly avoids it smacking him on the bonce. He
dives off the ship as it capsizes, and rolls onto the pontoon. Job done !!
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Conan tells you that now you need to take out the OTHER ship ... OTHER SHIP
????? *sigh*. Return to the Stygian Encampment (RB, tap B on the chain
to lock it into position), and take out the Stygians that have amassed there
but TRY and avoid going too far towards the door on the other side, as a
Stygian Honour Guard lies in wait.
Once you draw close enough to the door, as I've just said, a Stygian Honour
Guard will come through it, and immediately enter into combat with you.
Remember the Pirate Bosses and how tough they were ? Well these guys can
be thought of as Pirate Bosses on Steroids - they are NAILS, so have your
wits about you.
His toughest attack by far is a 4-hit combo (which you will mistake for a
3-hit combo with an additional attack afterwards the first few times you
see it) - AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. It's 2 fast strikes, a block-breaking
knockdown that CANNOT be parried, and a fire breathing attack whilst you
are on the floor which you MUST roll out of the way to avoid.
The easiest way to defeat a Stygian Honour Guard is with a technique I have
developed called the four-point roll. You roll under his first strike,
roll under his second strike, roll under his unblockable strike, and roll
past his flame attack, and have JUST enough time to pull off a full-strength
strong hit combo ... rinse and repeat !! Obviously this works best in a
1-2-1 situation ;)
=============================================================================
NB. They are best defeated either with the Stone Prison Spell, or by using a
one-handed weapon and shield combo, because at least that way you can
better defend against their attacks.
NB2 In THIS fight, I would suggest (as long as you're quick), using the flame
pedestal to throw at him first, and then retreating to the campfire to
spark that off when he draws close enough (shouldn't matter whether you
used this campfire to do the same thing the first time you were here -
the sparking effect should have been renewed). This will weaken him
considerably, and hopefully avoid your having to cast your spells on him.
=============================================================================
> SAVE THE GAME - you don't want to have to fight that BUMHEAD again, non ?
> Head to the door that the Stygian Honour Guard came out of, and use RB, tap
B repeatedly on the chain to get through.
> Head up the slope and you will be greeted by a set of Stygians to play with.
Slay them all, and move on.
> In the next area, take out the Stygian Honour Guard and his entourage (my
advice ? STONE PRISON SPELL Baby YEAH), and then burn down the hut on the
right-hand side, using the burning torch from the wall-bracket. You will
find a probably much desired green urn inside it. There is also a weapon
rack with a load of axes in it just to the left.
> Down the little slope, RB, tap B on the chain to lock it into place, and
then out through the door and onto the pontoon please.
> As with the previous pontoon, there is a buxom beauty bound at the far end,
however this time she is in the company of 2 green urns (rather than the 1
green, 1 blue we had before).
Rescue her, drink your fill, and then board the ship.
> Same as before really - clear the main deck, set alight the cargo bundle
on the deck and then descend into the ship's cargo hold - HOWEVER, this
time I would like you to descend via the left-hand set of stairs first, as
you have to do both, and the left is the easiest (RB three times to smash
open the heavily reinforced door). There is a weapon rack just to the right
of the door should you wish to go Dual-Wield.
At the bottom of the left-hand set of stairs you will find a Stygian Pikeman
and a Stygian Swordsman - easy pickings for one of your skill. I would
take the Pikeman's Staff if I were you. Once you are done here, and have
taken the liberty of setting alight the cargo bundle in this hold, head back
up to the main deck, and then across to the right-hand door (RB three times
to smash THIS door open as well), and then descend into the hold on THAT
side.
Here you will face a VERY tough fight in close-quarters - 2 Stygian Honour
Guards and 2 Stygian Pikemen - so BE PREPARED.
It's easiest to use a two-handed weapon here, as it hits more enemies and,
in the confined space, it will increase your odds of success - just take
care where you put your feet so you don't get boxed in ;)
> Once they are all dead, pick up the green urn, blue urn, treasure chest and
set alight to the cargo bundle (although to be honest odds are you will have
to go back to the main deck, and then up the stairs on the right-hand side
to grab another torch, as there isn't one on the steps leading down to the
right-hand cargo hold).
> Return to the slope leading off the ship, and you will get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan just narrowly manages to dodge the ship's mast as it cracks and hurtles
down toward him. He throws himself off the ship and lands back on the pontoon
with A'Kanna's ship asail in the harbour behind him.
The scene shifts, with Conan and A'Kanna both aboard her ship, as it comes
around to view a mighty Citadel with a towering Spire at its centre. A'Kanna
is adamant that the treasure (your armour) MUST be in there.
Conan confirms that it's all yours for the taking.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Six.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 5 ¦
============================================================================
ACT SEVEN - OUTPOST
You regain control of Conan beside a small boat which you have apparently
used to get ashore - the severed heads of Stygian Warriors adorning the
spikes around you.
> Turn and head down the path, clocking the sentries as you go. The first
wave of enemies you will face are Stygian Pikemen; the second, Stygian
Elite Swordsmen.
> As you near the Stygian Pikemen, take note that there is a campfire, and
a Treasure Chest for you to pilfer once they are dead.
> Once the Stygian Elite Swordsmen are taken care of, run PAST where they were
congregated, and keep heading right until the camera turns and leads you
onto a dock. Here you will find a mini-ambush, a treasure chest, and your
first battle with a new type of enemy. Conan calls them Winged Lizards, so
that's what I'm going to call them too. The Winged Lizards are TERRIBLY
ineffectual combatants, and should give you NO problems at all. When their
eyes glow red it means they are about to bite at you, so just roll away.
You really shouldn't have any problems with them at all. They do have a
poisonous breath attack that they VERY rarely use, which stuns you for a
couple of seconds, and which can be counter-attacked if your timing is good.
> Once you are done on the dock, turn and head back to where you did battle
with the Stygian Elite Swordsmen, and head into the nearby building (tap RB
three times to get through the door), and take out all the Stygians inside.
Once you have slain all the Stygian Pikemen, a door opens in the northern
wall of the room and a Stygian Honour Guard arrives together with some of
his cronies. Slay them all, and only read on when you have done so.
There is a red rune triumvirate in this room, not to mention a lot of vases.
HOWEVER, it is possible for you to screw this up beyond correction, so
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION.
DO NOT push anything over in this room yet. Once all the Stygians are slain
I would like you to head to the bottom right-hand corner of the room, and
activate the red rune triumvirate inbetween the two pillars there (1/3).
Then, head to the top left-hand corner of the room, and activate the red
rune triumvirate there (2/3). Finally, head into the room that the Stygian
Honour Guard and his posse came from, and activate the red rune triumvirate
there (3/3). This will bolster your Song of Death Power Bar.
Take the green urn, smash the vases and other items in the room for extra
goodies, and pick up whatever weaponry (if any) you desire, before going
back into the main chamber.
Now, head back to where you activate the first red rune triumvirate, and
push over the pillar on the right so that it falls to the left (RB, tap B).
See ? If you'd done that BEFORE you activate the triumvirate, you wouldn't
be able to use it now would you ;)
(( I know because I screwed it up the first time I played )) =./
Jump up the demolished pillar, up the next pillar, and then up again to a
new plateau.
> Follow the pathway around to the right, and you will be attacked by a large
group of Winged Lizards.
> At the far end of the clearing where these foul winged beasts attack you is
a Treasure Chest for your plundering.
Once you have taken your fill of the treasure, head up the slope to your
left, using the ledges as you go. Incidentally, if you go (from the ground)
up, up, up, up, left, left, left, left you will reach a hidden plateau which
contains a treasure chest, and can then either drop down to the pathway
below you and climb the whole rockface again, or double-back on yourself and
pick up where you were.
As you reach the top, Conan says "More foul magic I'll wager" - seems he's
becoming rather more verbose as we play on eh !! ANYHOW, LITERALLY just
before you reach the top (where you have to do battle with a small group of
Stygians) there is a level - it's atop the highest ledge on the rockface,
but BEFORE the top of the rockface (if that makes sense). There is a
hidden treasure chest on the left-hand side of this level.
> When you reach the top, take out the Stygians and smash open the nearby
wooden door (RB), to get access to a small room containing a Buxom Beauty,
a VERY important blue stone for saving your progress, a blue urn, a number
of vases, and a weapon rack replete with axes.
You're going to need all this clobber, because there is an ARMY coming at
you from the other side of the bridge, and you will need your wits about
you for taking them out.
Equip yourself with whatever you fight best with, and get stuck in !!
There are a number of Stygian Archers that will pelt you from afar, so you
ought to try and close the distance with them as quickly as you can. You
might want to use your Rain of Fire power here to see how it functions
against multiple troops or, failing that, use your Stone Prison to even the
odds against you ;)
> Once you have slain them all, head through the door (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS
Up), and into the next chamber.
There is a green urn, a weapon rack filled with axes, and a load of
destructible items in this room, together with a set of Stygians, who will
be reinforced by another set further into this combat.
> Once all the Stygians are slain, leave via the door in the right-hand wall,
and you will enter another chamber. There are some vases to smash, another
weapon rack against the far wall (filled with axes), and two doors - one
to the left that requires a chain to be pulled to get through it, and a
wooden door to the right.
Head right (RB to smash the door) behind which you will find a buxom beauty
AND A STYGIAN HONOUR GUARD lying in wait for you (you won't see him until
he is right upon you owing to the dodgy camera angle - grrrrrr). There is
also a treasure chest, and a fair amount of destructible items in this room
which you can smash to bits.
> Once you are done here, head back through the room you were in previously,
and run up to the door on the far side (RB, tap B on the chain to lock it
and open the door).
As soon as you enter this room, prepare to block as you are propelled right
into hand-to-hand combat with 2 Stygians. They are soon backed up by a
Stygian Honour Guard, and further warriors who pile into the chamber to
do battle with you.
Once they are all dead, smash as many items as you like to get some goodies,
and then head up the stairs on the right-hand side (there's plenty more to
smash, along with a couple more Stygians, on the upper level), and finally
head through the wooden door (RB to smash it) to get to the next area.
> In this next room are 2 (TWO !!) buxom beauties to be saved, plus a few
Stygians to be taken out. There is also a weapon rack on the left-hand
wall, filled with axes (again - what's with the AXES people !?!?!).
Use RB and then tap B repeatedly on the chain in the north wall, to open
the door and gain access to the next room.
> In this room you will do battle with a Stygian Honour Guard whilst having
to dodge Stygian Archers' arrow fire from above, which is a BIT of a pain.
Once he has been slain, run up the stairs on the right-hand side and take
out both the Stygian Archers, before doubling-back on yourself across the
higher level, to pick up a green urn. I needn't mention it, but there is
YET ANOTHER axe-filled weapon rack on the ground floor in this room should
you really want another axe (!!).
When you are done, RB three times on the door to smash it to bits, and head
out to the next area.
> Here the camera gives you a VERY handy angle - up high and at a distance,
so you can see your adversaries immediately. There are 2 Stygian Pikemen
and a Stygian Elite Swordsman in the immediate area, but reinforcements
in the form of 2 Stygian Honour Guard, 2 Stygian Elite Swordsmen and a
Stygian Pikeman lie in wait.
There are a further 2 buxom beauties to be rescued here as well !! Read on
once you've slain everybody.
> There is a blue rune triumvirate in this room that we shall now complete.
If you would like to activate the first blue rune triumvirate (the one
nearest the door you used to get into this room) (1/3), and then head to the
north of that one along the line that is drawn to find the second (2/3), and
finally follow the line that heads away from the camera from the second, to
reach and activate the third (3/3). This will bolster your magic power bar
so that you now have FOUR levels - power enough for 2 Rain of Fire Spells,
or FOUR Stone Prison Spells !! BONZA !!!!! =)
> Head back to where you activated the second blue rune triumvirate, and push
the pillar over onto it (RB, tap B).
> Jump up onto the broken pillar, and then up onto the scaffolding - the
camera pans to show you the way.
> Run to the left, and then jump up to reach the next level of scaffolding,
and the green urn atop it.
> From here, head away from the camera and then right, down, right, and then
jump onto the back wall (which is actually a ledge), and go up, up to reach
the next level of scaffolding (just above the banner), and head away from
the camera, then right and then right again, to drop down by the blue urn
and blue stone.
> Save your game.
> Follow the path away from the blue stone, and push over the pillar (RB, tap
B). Jump up onto the demolished pillar, and keep running to the right (over
the pillar effectively), ignoring the Winged Lizards.
When the camera pans to show you the way up, ignore it and keep running to
the right to find a further Buxom Beauty and a Treasure Chest.
Once you are done here, head left, back to where the camera panned up, and
head to the door at the back of the room - RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up to
open it.
> In this next room BLOCK IMMEDIATELY, as there are several Stygians in the
area, 2 of which will attack you as soon as you arrive. There is also a
treasure chest and a weapon rack filled with ... that's right ... axes !!
There are HEAPS of vases to smash here as well =)
Head up the stairs, taking out the Stygians as you go and, when you reach
the top, press RB and then tap B repeatedly on the central pillar, to
twist it so that you can get by. Just be careful of the Stygian Honour
Guard and Stygian Elite Swordsman on the other side !!!!!
It is very important that you get this bit right - you should twist the
block and it should then rise up when it's been moved. If it does not,
which is quite likely if you are hit whilst you are moving it, you should
slay the warriors that face you, and then run off the broken steps at the
top to drop back down to the bottom and run up to do the twisty bit again.
Once you have done it right, run up the broken steps and then jump to make
sure you reach the ledge on the other side, and then jump right, right, up,
and up again to reach a new ledge.
Smash the vases to get some green energy, and then run and jump over to the
right, before heading up, up and up again, to reach a large open-air chamber
with what looks like a huge chalice in the centre.
> Take out the Stygians that you face here, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT USE
THE GREEN URNS !!!!!
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 6 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - SORCERESS QUEEN
--- CUTSCENE ---
There is a bubbling from the fluid at the centre of the Chalice, and a warped
female voice calls to Conan, saying "Bow to me Barbarian. I am Chimera,
Ruler of this City". Conan naturally refuses, telling her he wants his armour
... NOW ...
Chimera arises from the Chalice - a disgustingly misshapen female upper torso
atop the lower body of a serpent, and says "I have a message for your woman.
Tell her the Barbarian WILL be her salvation, but only after she has made the
Ultimate Sacrifice".
Conan calmly responds "She will learn only of your death", and Chimera, NOT
impressed by his candour, slithers out of her Chalice to do battle with you,
laughing as she goes.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
This is a TOUGH boss fight, so we shall have to knuckle down. Obviously I
told you NOT to use the green urns, because you will need as much help as you
can get to make it through this one, believe me !!
As with all the other boss fights, the Chimera / Sorceress Queen Boss Fight
is divided up into sections, being :-
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Hand-to-Hand #1
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - Warriors Awaken #1
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3 - Hand-to-Hand #2
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4 - Warriors Awaken #2
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5 - Final Battle with Chimera
==================================
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
==================================
The Sorceress Queen begins at the right-hand side of her battle arena, and
you begin at the centre. She has a number of attacks when she engages you
in hand-to-hand, being :-
A) 4-hit combo (3 short strikes followed up by a swinging, unblockable
hit that you must DOUBLE-roll away from);
B) Psyched-up strong stab that leaves a red trail, and is a block-
breaker, but not unblockable.
Additionally, she does not take a whole heck of a lot of damage from you in
hand-to-hand, so this is quite a slow-paced stage of her fight.
That being said, there is a ...
============
HELPFUL HINT
============
Mr Stuff has made contact with me to volunteer a couple of VERY, very helpful
hints that will assist you in this boss fight, being as follows :-
During Stage 1 of the Sorceress Queen Boss Fight, when she does her stab move
(move B on the above list), you can parry it and get a B prompt. If you do
this then Conan jumps onto her back and slams her head into the floor which
takes off a whole bunch of health (about 1/4 - 1/3 on hard)! It also gives
you a small window of breathing time as she gets back up. On the first
section of the fight she will usually say "you die now" (or something like
that). The move is not part of any of her combos, she just stabs out front.
Thanks Mr Stuff !!
====================
ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT
====================
BenHatinU has also been in touch to suggest another helpful way of despatching
the BIATCH that is the Sorceress Queen, being as follows :-
On either side of the level there are axe racks. All you have to do is grab
an axe and get within a few feet of her. Her staff will go red when she is
getting ready to strike. All you have to do is jump back out of the way of
the strike and then she leaves herself vulnerable. Throw the axe at her and
you take off a nice chunk of health. You can actually defeat her without
having to get too close to her. Although on the third stage you will have to
jump her energy ring. But it's a nice easy way to defeat her, just keep
chucking those axes and other weapons on the ground from the previous fight.
====================
Once she has taken enough damage we can move on to stage 2.
==================================
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
==================================
Chimera slinks back to her Chalice, and casts a spell drawing upon the black
fluid that fills it. "Warriors, AWAKEN !!" she cries, as her black filth
pours forth, filling the lungs of the recently deceased Stygians and bringing
them back to life as puppets under her control.
The Stygians are nothing compared to how effective they were when they were
alive - HOWEVER, to make matters more interesting, Chimera fires blasts of
red energy from her staff into the ground in a regular pattern (first blasts
down the middle in a narrow cone; second blasts diagonally out and to the
sides), to try and fry you.
============
HELPFUL HINT
============
Mr Stuff has provided me with ANOTHER very cool hint that will help you in
THIS stage of the Boss Fight as well !! He says :-
"I also noticed that for the first warrior revive section if you stay to the
left or right of the chalice and fight the guys from there then you won't
get hit by any of her beams, unfortunately it doesn't work for the second
warrior revive.
"Finally I was using 2 handed and uppercut on the warriors gives you a good
bunch of health most of the time (X Y)."
Thanks again Mr Stuff =)
============
Once all the Stygians have been slain, we move onto stage 3.
==================================
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3
==================================
Slinking back out of her Chalice to engage you in hand-to-hand combat once
again, Chimera exhibits the following attacks :-
A) 4-hit combo (3 short strikes followed up by a swinging, unblockable
hit that you must DOUBLE-roll away from);
B) Psyched-up strong swing that leaves a red trail, and is a block-
breaker, but not unblockable; and
C) Charged Attack (raises her staff and slams it point-first into the
ground, resulting in a red shockwave that ripples out, and must be
jumped over or rolled away from in good time, to avoid decent damage).
Once she has taken enough damage in this form, we go to stage 4.
==================================
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4
==================================
As with stage 2, Chimera slinks back to her Chalice and casts her "Warriors,
AWAKEN !!" Spell. Isn't she getting tired of that ? I know I am !! Anyhow,
THIS time around there are plenty more Stygians to do battle with, and you
should take great care to avoid being penned into a corner, as their sharp
claw-attacks can demolish your health faster than Chimera herself !!
Also watch out for the Sorceress Queen's revised energy blast attacks - this
time she attacks in straight lines from left-to-right or right-to-left, and
in narrow cones from back to front. She does not WAVE the lines, however,
so once you see her starting to blast from back to front, my advice is to
ditch the Stygians and focus on rolling away from whatever line her attack is
coming at you from.
Once all the Stygians are dead (and relax, this time they ARE dead), her
Chalice breaks, and the Sorceress Queen falls back to the ground, wailing in
pain as she does so.
This take us onto stage 5 - the final stage of this boss fight.
==================================
SORCERESS QUEEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5
==================================
In this stage, you start at the front of the battle arena (nearest the
camera), and Chimera is at the back. Her black tar has spilled all over the
arena floor, making your progress toward her VERY slow, and she emits wave
after wave of red energy toward you which is difficult to dodge because you
move AND JUMP at the same, very slow speed.
Get your timing right, however, and she won't be too much of a problem -
however, to REACH her, you must head diagonally up and to the top right-hand
corner of the arena, and then move to the left. Until you get to that point,
there will just be a question mark over her head.
==================================================================
ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING TO THE SORCERESS QUEEN QUICKER
==================================================================
Jameason has been in touch with me to point out that it is actually not only
POSSIBLE to head up the left-hand side of the arena to reach the Sorceress
Queen, it is actually a bit quicker to do so as well, as there is less
exposure to her sludgy goodness on the way ...
Cheers dude !! =)
====================
When you DO reach her, go B, X, Y, X, B, X, tap Y, X, tap X to defeat her.
============
HELPFUL HINT
============
WarCorpse18 has made contact with me to suggest that I point out to you (and
it IS worth pointing out, I agree), that the Sorceress Queen Boss Tappy Tappy
bit of the fight is VERY precise - considerably more precise than most in
fact - when it comes to the bit where I've put "tap Y". If you overtap, or
undertap, then she will just shuck you off her, and you'll have to do it all
over again from scratch, so WATCH THE TAPPAGE !!!!! =)
Thanks WarCorpse18 ;)
============
--- CUTSCENE ---
White energy courses from the Sorceress Queen's mouth at the site of her
wound, and she disappears in a blast of white light, leaving behind Conan's
shoulder-plate as his reward.
As he touches it, he gets yet another flashback. It appears that ancient
laws finally caught up with Graven, and he was held accountable for all the
evil he had wrought upon the world - his brother Kalden would be both judge
AND jury to him for his misdeeds.
Kalden used the ancient magic he had sworn to protect to imprison Graven in
stone. There he would remain for all time (or so they thought - Conan put
pay to that when he arrived at the island, remember ?). STUPID Barbarian.
Returning to A'Kanna's ship, she spots his new armour, and asks what else he
found in the Citadel. He says it doesn't matter, and asks who Kalden is.
She responds by saying that he is the man that rescued her from Graven, and
raised her as his own daughter.
Conan asks where to find him, and A'Kanna confirms that he resides in Argos.
They set sail to find her father.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Seven.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 7 ¦
============================================================================
ACT EIGHT - DEVIL ISLAND
Conan arrives on the shores of Argos, and is given a new spell - Raven Plague,
and a further level to your magic power bar (which should bring you up to
FIVE points). Raven Plague causes a large group of pitch black ravens with
red eyes to soar from your body and attack any enemies in the immediate area,
before disappearing. It takes 3 points of magical energy to use, and is
accessible by pressing RIGHT on the D-pad.
Ready to go ?? Hokay, let's DO this =)
> Ascend the rock face in front of you using the ledges ... just watch out for
rockfalls as you do !! A boulder hits the ground on the first proper ledge
you can walk on, and then you have to jump and tap B to get to the next
ledge, before heading up, up and finally up again to reach the next ledge.
Whilst ascending that bit it may look like a boulder is about to drop right
down onto you - DO NOT PANIC - just go up and he'll jump up and to the
right, just avoiding it ;)
> Follow this ledge around to the left, and you will find a Treasure Chest
reasonably well-hidden in a nook in the wall on the right.
> Double-back a few steps, and drop down and to the left, and then run
forward and to the right as the camera pans, do to battle with some Winged
Lizards. There is a second one-handed sword stuck into the ground in an
Excalibur stylee by the skeleton here, should you wish to Dual-Wield.
> Once they are all slain, ascend the rockface (jump, tap B to grab the ledge
and then jump up, HOLD FOR A MOMENT until the boulder to your right has
fallen, and then head right, and right again to drop down to the ledge.
> Run to the right and pick up the green urn if you need it.
> From the green urn, run to the right and jump off the ledge to reach the
other side. From here you will need to head up and away from the camera,
but there are a number of Winged Lizards to slay (and you DON'T want to
drop off the ledge to your death now, DO you) ;)
> Once they are all dead, run up and away from the camera, and pick up the
green urn, before jumping up onto the first ledge on the rockface.
This bit is tricky, so use the shadows of the rocks falling from above to
help guide you.
From the first ledge, go right, tap B to ascend, left, left and finally left
again to get to the next ledge, but as I say make sure your timing is
right - generally wait a second after you've finished tapping B, and then
PEG IT to the left as fast as you can, and you'll be fine.
> Here, slay the Winged Lizards (throw rocks at them if you like), and don't
pass up the chance to switch to a two-handed weapon if you like - there's
a very impressive sword stuck into the ground.
Once you've cleared the area, leap over to the ridge on the left, and head
down the path that runs away from the camera, and please take GREAT care
when you do so, as there are a large number of boulders that will fall down
and do you considerable damage if you get struck by them (they aren't just
in one go either - there are at least 2 distinct instances of rockfall
here, so be alert).
> Once you're at the end of the ridge on this side, jump across to the right
again, save your game at the blue stone, and take out the Winged Lizard.
> Run away from the camera, and Conan will reach the edge of the mountain
ridge. Looking down, he spots an Archery Tower that you just KNOW he wants
to get stuck into.
> Drop down and take out the two Archers. I shall call them Argosian Archers,
as that is what they are. They fire explosive arrows, and do not change
from their bows even at close-quarters ... they just keep on firing !!
Slay them both and drink of the green urn to replenish your health.
> Drop down from the tower and slay the 2 Argosian Swordsmen quickly, avoiding
the arrows from the Archers to the left. When they are dead, drop down to
the left and take out the Archers.
> Activate the lever on the northern wall of this platform, and then drop
down into the central courtyard, to do battle with a host of Argosian
Swordsmen and Argosian Archers (the Swordsmen outnumbering the Archers by
about a BILLION to 1). There is also a weapon rack filled with two-handed
swords here, against the left-hand wall.
> Once they are all dead, head down and, as the camera pans, to the left, and
onto the jetty to activate the stationery turret, which you should turn back
towards the main area, and take out the 3 statues - 2 on the left; 1 on the
right.
You should also turn it back towards the jetty, and take out the heavy
cargo bundle right by the sea, to reveal a blue rune triumvirate beneath
it. Ignore that triumvirate for now - we'll come back to it later ;)
When the statues and cargo bundle destroyed, abandon the stationery turret
and head back into the square to take out the Argosian Archers that have
congregated there.
Once they are all dead, run to the left and jump over the leftmost statue
(which should now be in bits) to access a green urn, and then jump up onto
the SECOND statue which you destroyed (the other statue on the left-hand
side) to gain access to a new plateau, where you will do battle with your
first Argosian Elite Swordsman.
These boys are VERY tough to best in combat, because of their agility,
dexterity, and the BEAUTIFULLY-crafted shields they wield, which are really
a set of daggers lying flat against a shield base.
They attack with blinding speed, and can cause the daggers on their shields
to extend out at will, offering them retaliatory damage should you try and
strike their shields whilst they are blocking. Be VERY cagey when you are
fighting these little mofo's. They are also able to throw their shields,
so watch out for that as well, as the shield go back to them afterwards !!
Finally, they can charge you with their shield (this is their block-
breaker).
> Once he has fallen to your power, ignore the lever, and take one or more of
the axes from the weapon rack to its right IF you wish, and then head up
the stairs in this area to do battle with 2 more Elite Swordsmen.
> There is a vine-covered wall here which you should climb to reach a secret
area that contains a treasure chest, green urn, blue urn, and (woohoo !!)
the third and final blue rune triumvirate. Pick up all the goodies first,
and then activate this triumvirate (1/3), before heading back down to the
courtyard and running all the way to the right, to jump over the third
statue you destroyed with the stationary turret and reach the second rune
triumvirate (2/3), only to then jump back over the statue's bits and head
back to the jetty and where the cargo bundle was, to switch on the third
blue rune triumvirate (3/3), and increase your magic power bar to 6 !!
> Now that you have completed this blue rune triumvirate, head back up to the
mid-level platform (where you first fought the Argosian Elite Swordsmen) on
the LEFT, activate the lever in the northern wall, and drop back down to
the courtyard to go through the now open wooden door (but be quick - it will
close again if you're not quick enough !!).
> In this new area, run to the left and free the buxom beauty under the ramp.
Then double-back and run across the ramp (not up it yet) to take a shield
off the weapon rack IF you wish, and to destroy the 2 vases.
As soon as you start to head up the ramp, spiked balls will begin to roll
down, and you will have to dodge and jump over them, so have your wits
about you youngling ... here we go.
RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN GOGOGOGOGOGOGO !! Up the ramp as fast as you can and
JUMP over those balls JUMP JUMP !!
*phew*
You can either stay and do battle with the Argosian Elite Swordsmen, which
is what I'm going to do, OR you can just peg it up and up and up, bearing
in mind that if you stay you MUST avoid standing where the balls roll from
(although it's a good idea to get the Argosians to fall back there as they
will take heaps of damage), and if you run, balls come down each slope so
the pressure is on ...
There are 2 weapon racks at this first juncture with shields on both and
2 Argosian Elite Swordsmen; at the next juncture there are 2 vases and 1
Argosian Elite Swordsman; at the next, 1 Argosian Elite Swordsmen with 2
sets of 2 Argosian Swordsmen in waiting, and a blue stone for saving your
progress; at the fourth juncture there is absolutely nothing; and you will
I am sure be pleased to learn that there are NO balls coming down the fifth
ramp, as it leads to the plateau at the top.
There are, however, about 50 billion enemies waiting for you, including a
new type of adversary - the Argosian Honour Guard. Remember the Stygian
Honour Guard ? Same type of enemy, but this one has a beautiful lion helmet
atop his bonce. Unfortunately for HIM, he is no way NEAR as tough in combat
as the Stygian Honour Guard, and will fall nicely to a combined technique of
rolling out of his reach and responding with strong attacks.
Destroy the vases if you like, but they're just filled with water.
Once the area has been pacified, push the two statues on the left and right
of the portcullised doorway together (RB, Y, RB, Y on each), and then use
a combination of RB, tap B, LS Up, tap B to get through the massive wooden
door, and enter the next area.
> In this area there is a HUGE ramp leading up to the right, a green urn to
your north, 2 Argosian Elite Swordsmen waiting to battle you, and some
pretty useless vases filled with water.
> As you begin to head up the ramp, take out the archers on the north wall,
and prepare yourself to be surrounded - Winged Lizards come at you from
behind whilst Argosian Swordsmen come down at you from ahead.
KILL THEM ALL.
> When you get to the top, run towards the camera to get a blue urn, and then
run away from the camera to reach a green urn and a blue stone for saving
your progress, WHICH I suggest you do !!
> Head into the building and take out all the enemies on the ground floor.
There are 2 weapon racks along the left wall, one containing axes (shock,
horror) and the second containing shields (Mmmmmmm) =) - this arrangement
is replicated on the right wall as well.
The small planters will give you green energy, so use them wisely - the
vases are next to useless.
> Once the area is secure, head up the left-hand set of stairs, and cut and
then pull the chain (RB, tap B) from the statue to get a miniature cutscene
directing your attention to the beautiful chandelier in the centre of the
ceiling.
> Head into the room adjacent to the statue and take out the Argosian
Swordsmen. There is a Treasure Chest in the far right-hand corner of the
room, the table and chairs in the left-hand corner give blue energy, and
there are 2 weapon racks - one on the right-hand wall containing axes; and
the other on the left-hand wall containing shields.
> Go through the door in the northern wall (RB three times to get through),
and do battle with the Argosian Honour Guard in the next room, to win the
favour of the buxom beauty tied to the wall here. There is also a blue urn
and a green urn in this room.
> Head back to the central area (down the stairs past the statue), and head
up the stairs on the right-hand side of the building.
> Cut and pull the chain as you did with the statue on the left-hand side of
the chamber (RB, tap B) and the chandelier will fall down, smashing a hole
in the floor of the main chamber.
> Head into the room on your right and, as with the other side, clear it out
of Argosians, crack open the Treasure Chest, destroy the table and chairs
for blue energy, and then head back to the main chamber - you do not appear
to be able to go through the door in the room so there's no point in wasting
time with it.
> From the main chamber, head back outside and save your game again - there's
no point in going through that little saga all again, non ?? And then drop
down into the chamber below.
> Open the door ahead of you (RB three times to boot it to splinters), and
then head through.
> There are 3 Argosian Elite Swordsmen in this room, so you MIGHT want to make
your life easier and use Magic on them - I won't look *turns away*.
*peeks back through his fingers*
Oh my GOD - I can't believe you just did that !!!
Nevermind. Take the green urn if you need it, and raid the weapon racks on
the left and right walls for shields and axes should you wish. When you're
ready, head through the door in the right-hand wall (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS
Up to get through).
> Take out the 2 Argosian Elite Swordsmen, and head through the door in the
right-hand wall (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> You will find yourself on a ledge overlooking ... who knows, but I'll bet
it's beautiful. ANYHOW. You will be attacked by two waves of Winged
Lizards, so be anything but asleep. There are 2 small planters that will
give you a little green energy, plus a green urn, but to be honest you
shouldn't need ANY to mop these freaks up.
> Move to the far end (as in the end furthest away from the camera), and then
jump to grab the ledge, then jump up, right, up and tap B to ascend to the
next plateau.
> Use the green urn should you need to, and then head through the door on the
LEFT (smash it to bits).
> Take out the Argosian Honour Guard and his 3 Argosian Elite Swordsmen, and
keep heading left to take out the Argosian Archer, behind whom is a treasure
chest and 2 small planters which will give you a little green energy.
When he is dead, head back to the area just to your right (where the Honour
Guard did battle with you), and go through the door in the north wall (RB,
LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> Run straight through and use the door in the right-hand wall (RB three times
to get through).
--- CUTSCENE ---
You and A'Kanna burst into a bedroom to find a busty, topless maiden reclining
on the bed. A'Kanna asks where everybody has gone, only to be told by the
rather distainful girl on the bed that they've all gone; that the Black Death
came and infected the men.
A'Kanna asks whether Kalden was also affected, and the girl says she doesn't
know, but that the last she heard he had fled to the city.
She says that you'll have a "hard time" (which causes Conan's ears to prick up
the little DOG that he is) getting there, and that perhaps you should rest
with her a while and regain your strength ?
Picking up on Conan's obvious interest in the girl, A'Kanna wheels on one heel
and butts into him as she moves for the door, letting him know she does NOT
approve.
He chuckles at her thinly-veiled jealousy.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 8 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - GIANT SQUID
--- CUTSCENE ---
A'Kanna's ship sets sail for Argos in a bid to find Kalden, and is promptly
set upon by a HUGE Squid that swims up to it from the sea, slamming its
tentacles down onto the main deck.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
The Giant Squid Boss Fight is just like any other - it comes to you in
sections, being :-
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Slap Happy
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - Mast Stranglehold #1
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3 - Infection #1
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4 - Mast Stranglehold #2
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5 - Infection #2
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6 - Mast Stranglehold #3
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7 - Desperation and Anger
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
==============================
There are 2 green urns in the bottom right-hand corner, and top-left corner
of the boat should you start to take a pounding. There are also 2 blue urns
in the bottom left-hand corner, and top-right corner of the boat for you as
well.
In this first stage of the fight, the Giant Squid flings its tentacles out
of the water and slams them down onto the deck. You must sever the suckers
from the tentacles, causing pain to the beast.
The easiest way of doing this is to hand back behind the mast, as the Squid
cannot really attack you there, and to just slice off the tentacles as they
come right, left, right, left, repeat ad nauseum until he is down to zero
health - two strong attacks will sever a tentacle, in case you're wondering.
When he's done and dusted, we move on to ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
==============================
Frustrated at its inability to pound the ship to pieces, the Giant Squid
decides to try and wrap a single tentacle around the mast, and capsize the
boat. Use strong attacks to batter the tentacle until it can take no more
pain, and falls back.
We then come to ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3
==============================
The Giant Squid decides to use one of its more icky powers, and wraps a
sucker around one of the crewmen, infecting him with its inky darkness, and
turning him into its slave. The crewman then proceeds to attack you !!
Keep striking at the tentacles that are poisoning the crew, and you will do
damage to the beast.
Once he has taken enough punishment, you can move onto ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4
==============================
Back to his old tricks again - the Giant Squid decides to try once again to
pull the mast towards it, capsizing the boat. Slice its tentacle with strong
attacks to put pay to its plans in short order.
Then we can move onto ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5
==============================
Another attempt to infect the crew, save this time the Giant Squid combines
its sucker-hold on crewmembers with slapping the deck with OTHER suckers,
making it more awkward to reach your comrades.
Stand behind the mast again and your expose to the Squid will be minimised.
==========================================================================
NB. IF YOU NEED TO USE EITHER THE BLUE OR GREEN URNS, NOW IS THE LAST TIME
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT.
==========================================================================
Keep slicing and dicing those tentacles and you will be just fine. Then
we get to ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6
==============================
YET ANOTHER attempt to capsize the BLOODY boat !! Although this time he's
really quite desperate so you MUST get to his tentacle quickly, or you will
lose BIG stylee.
Once you've struck him again - BAD Squid BAD !! We can go on to ...
==============================
GIANT SQUID BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7
==============================
Now he's getting REALLY mad. The Squid latches onto the vessel with as many
tentacles as he has left it seems, pulling himself up onto it and partially
capsizing it in the process.
This means you are no longer able to reach either the blue or green urns !!
In this final stage, the Giant Squid exhibits the following attacks :-
A) Sucker Smash (as per his previous attacks - he raises up his suckers
and smashes them down onto the main deck);
B) Ink Spray (he sprays about 75% of the deck with oil, leaving only the
very far left and very far right untouched, and instantly poisoning
any crewmen that come into contact with him);
Best way to defeat him here is to hang on the VERY far left, wait for him to
spray his gunk all over the boat (he will travel from left to right), and then
LEG it after him and unleash a strong combo whilst avoiding the crewmen,
before rolling back to the safety of the very left-hand side of the boat.
Once the Squid is down to zero health, Conan will automatically engage it
in a
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan enters the mouth of the beast, stabbing it behind its eye and up through
its skull, before pushing one of its eyes out so that he can escape its skull.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Eight.
============================================================================
¦ 0 1 9 ¦
============================================================================
ACT NINE - FALLEN KINGDOM
--- CUTSCENE ---
A'Kanna's ship (or rather what's LEFT of it) calls into port at Argos, but
they immediately see that the populace is under siege by its own troops !!
As an Argosian charges towards Conan, A'Kanna takes him out with an arrow
through the neck, before telling Conan to head off, and that she will hold
off their enemies.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
A'Kanna tells you to go, and that she will find you in the city, before
shooting one of the Argosians with an arrow, slaying him instantly.
> Head off to the right, slaying as many Argosians as you can whilst you are
on your merry way, until you come to an Argosian Honour Guard.
> In the courtyard just behind him (which you can explore AFTER you have slain
him), you will find a green rune triumvirate underneath a cart. Use RB on
the cart to push it out of the way. This is the THIRD of three - we have
already walked past the first two - you probably just didn't spot them ;)
> Double-back on yourself just a few steps, over the white line that makes
the square of this square. Do you see 2 wooden doors with a cross-hatched
door in the middle, and sand bags in front of that ? Kick open the left
and right doors please - the wooden ones. That's cool.
Now, please use the blue urn if you need to, then use the THIRD rune
triumvirate (the one underneath the cart in the square) (1/3). Now use the
most recent rune triumvirate we have uncovered (2/3), and now run back
towards the ship ALONG THE LINE that is drawn by the second green rune
triumvirate and it will lead you to a gap in the railings, just past a
sandbag. Drop down, and you will find the first rune triumvirate (3/3),
which you should activate immediately, giving you an increase to your health
together with 20 Gamer Points and a "Bill of Health" Achievement. BONZA =)
Now rescue the buxom beauty in this area as well ;)
> Jump back up to the town's main road, and run to the right and back to the
square. In the far right-hand corner you will find, behind the barrels,
a green urn and a treasure chest that you may want to avail yourself of ;)
> Now head up the well-illuminated stairs through the entrance in the left-
hand wall, and double-back on yourself to ascend the second set of stairs,
running past a weapon rack filled with axes, and onto a causeway, only to
be pinned - Argosian Archers firing at you from afar, whilst Argosian
Swordsmen and an Argosian Elite Swordsman attack you from behind.
Slay all the hand-to-hand combatants, and then drop off the northern edge
of the causeway.
> Jump up onto the dais and push over the pillar (RB, tap B repeatedly), to
smash a pathway for you into the next area.
> Run forward, and you will get a
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan enters the next area and the camera pans to show him just how many
enemies he has to slay, PLUS that his path UP is blocked by a fiery area.
However, there is a beautiful water feature in the centre of the area that
might be put to good use.
"I need to put out that fire", Conan says.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Kill all the enemies on the ground and then head up the ledges on the right-
hand side of the arena, taking out the Argosian Archers as you do. When
you get to the top, pick up the green urn and blue urn (if you need to), and
then drop back down to the arena floor.
Grab vases and throw them (at close-distance) against the fire, to gradually
put it out. 3 vases will do.
> Ascend the ledges, and then drop down on the RIGHT-hand side, behind the
cart. Use RB on the cart immediately, to take out the Argosian Honour
Guard ahead of you. The gate ahead of you will close as you move forward.
> Take out the rest of the Argosians here, and head into the building on the
right to get a green urn. Then move to the closed gate and use RB, tap B
to pull and lock the chain in position.
> Run forward and take out both the Argosian Archers at the far end of the
arena, and ALL the Argosians that drop down (unless you really DON'T want
to fight them in which case move on). Once they are dead or you have
decided to flee, jump up onto the awning of the cart on the right-hand
side of the street (approach it as if you were going to buy something -
that's the easiest way to get up), and then run up and grab the green urn
IF you need it, before jumping up to the next ledge above.
> Use the blue stone to save your progress, and then turn and head RIGHT,
through the flimsy wooden doors, and continue that way taking out the
Argosian Swordsmen as you go, until you come at last to a buxom beauty.
Rescue her, then double-back to the blue stone and save your progress
again. 3 Argosians will try and block your path, but you know what to do.
> Now run all the way around to the left, and batter through the flimsy wooden
defences (again). Run right across the walkway, and smash the next wooden
door to get access to a green urn (which you might, or might not, want to
avail yourself of at this time).
> Head back to the walkway and drop down into the courtyard to the north, and
take out the two lions that are released during a mini cutscene, together
with the Argosian Swordsmen, Elite Swordsman and Honour Guard, and then
head up the stairs behind where the Honour Guard was standing, and you will
find a hidden treasure chest in the background on the stairs themselves.
When you are done here, turn and head up the slope to your right.
> There is an entryway in the wall to your left which hides a Buxom Beauty
behind a gate (RB, tap B to use the chain nearby).
> There is a room (you will need to use RB to kick the door down) in the
right-hand wall which contains a green urn, should you need it. There is
an identical room on the left-hand side, further up the slope from the room
that contained the Buxom Beauty.
> Use the cart to hurtle ahead and POTENTIALLY damage your enemies (although
its angle is not too good), slaying all in your path including the SECOND
Argosian Honour Guard, before heading behind the massive gate and using RB,
tap B on the chain to raise a barrier on the level above you.
> Exit this structure and ascend via the awning to your left. When you reach
the upper level, turn left and head through the flimsy wooden gate to obtain
a Treasure Chest.
> Double-back on yourself and run all the way along the causeway, around to
the other side, through the flimsy wooden gate and to a second Treasure
Chest.
> Head back to the causeway and drop down into the courtyard to the north.
> Quickly run over to the left-hand cart and push it - it will take out 2
Argosian Archers.
Fall back to give you a reasonable distance between Conan and the Argosians
and brace yourself to weather the storm of their assault.
Wipe them out ..... All of them.
> Once all the Argosians are slain, A'Kanna will set alight to some wood to
the north of you, and admonish you for still being here. Once the wood has
burnt, you can ascend where once it stood. HOWEVER, I don't want you to do
that just yet. Instead I'd like you to walk back down the slope, as there
are two rooms to investigate - one on either side of the path. The room on
the left contains a treasure chest; the room on the right contains a blue
urn. Both have to be accessed by kicking in doors (RB).
Once you've done here, ascend the now clear path A'Kanna has made for you.
The way to go, in case you're curious, is (from the wood) Up, Up, Up, Left,
Up, Up, Up, Right, Down. This will place you atop a platform. From here,
jump to the right, ensuring that you go past the remaining ledges, and you
should land nicely on the balcony (if you screw it up, do it again !!).
From the balcony, head right and slay the two Argosian Archers, and using
the green urn beside them should you need it. Now double-back on yourself,
and run to the left, destroying the flimsy wooden door and activating the
blue stone to save your progress.
> From here, head back to the balcony and drop off the north side, into the
square below.
> Head to the right and slay all the Argosians in the square.
> Once they are slain, there will be a tiny cutscene in this A'Kanna shoots
an arrow from a rooftop into the neck of an Argosian Archer up ahead, and
bids you to venture onward and find Kalden.
> Head up to the gate on the right and use RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up to get
through it.
> Ignore the civilians and run up the stairs to the right and use RB, LS Up,
tap B to get through and into the next room.
> Run past the weapon rack (unless you fancy anything from it) and up to the
blue stone. Save your game and keep going right.
===========================================================================
NB. IN THIS ROOM I HAVE SOMETIMES FOUND TWO TREASURE CHESTS - ONE ON EITHER
SIDE OF THE BLUE STONE, BUT NOT ALWAYS (WHICH SEEMS RATHER ODD).
===========================================================================
> Use the green urn and then run past the next weapon rack and into the
following room.
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 0 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - BONE CLEAVER II
--- CUTSCENE ---
You enter the burning building to be confronted by what I mistook at first for
a Minotaur of Legend, but what it in fact a man wearing a Bull's Head Helmet.
Conan makes no mistake, however, and immediately identifies the warrior before
him as none of than Bone Cleaver - the enemy he defeated to obtain his first
gauntlet back on Baracha.
Bone Cleaver says he does not die so easily, and Conan offers to finish the
job he started so long ago.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Yup, our boy is back and he's MAD. REAL mad. Bone Cleaver II has a number
of abilities similar to those he exhibited the first time we fought him,
and a new bag of tricks to keep us amused ...
As with every boss fight, his is divided up into sections, his being :-
BONE CLEAVER II BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Meet and Greet
BONE CLEAVER II BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - The Old Ball & Chain
===========================================================================
NB. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE
TO FIGHT BONE CLEAVER IN *BOTH* STAGES OF THIS FIGHT ON NORMAL DIFFICULTY
AS I HAVE HEARD DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS - I WAS FIRST CONTACTED BY EVERGREY06,
WHO DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THE SECOND PART OF THE FIGHT ON NORMAL, AND THEN
LATER BY NIGHTFALL, WHO DID.
I HAVE SINCE HEARD BACK FROM NIGHTFALL WHO HAS DONE SOME FURTHER RESEARCH
INTO THE MATTER ON OUR BEHALF, AND HE SAYS (AND I QUOTE) :-
"I've finally figured out what is going on with the two stages of the
Bone Cleaver 2 Boss Battle. I played the game again on Medium (Normal)
and this time when I fought the Bone Cleaver 2 battle I tapped B when
prompted by the game after the first stage was over. This ended the
fight and I didn't have to fight the second stage. The first time I
played this (also on Normal), I missed hitting the B button and I had to
fight the second stage. So apparently, it all depends on whether or not
you hit that B button when prompted. That's quite a severe punishment
for not hitting the button, don't you think? An entire new stage of the
battle, and five times more difficult than the first. Anyway, I'm glad
I finally figured it out."
SO THANKS TO BOTH EVERGREY06 AND TO NIGHTFALL FOR THEIR COLLECTIVE INPUT
INTO THIS ISSUE !! :)
===========================================================================
==================================
BONE CLEAVER II BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
==================================
Bone Cleaver isn't alone this time around, OH no. He's got a lion to keep him
company. Take out the lion first, and then we'll focus on Bone Cleaver. If
you're having trouble with the lion, then retreat to the camera (as in, as
near to us as you can get), grab one of the water vases and throw it at the
lion to automatically stun it. HOWEVER, be careful as, more often than not,
Bone Cleaver will take that as an opportunity to throw a Bolas at you and, if
it hits, the lion will have come to by the time you break free =./
Bone Cleaver's attacks at this point are :-
A) Kick (which stuns you);
B) MASSIVE Combo (includes an unblockable hit, and should be avoided
at ALL costs);
C) Ground Pound (raises his two-handed sword above his head and dashes
it to the ground, causing a shockwave); and
D) Bolas (he glows blue and then throws a bolas at you, which ropes you
to the spot - tap B to escape from it).
The best technique I have learned to adopt for tackling him in this stage is
as follows :-
1) Take out the lion (use magic if you have to - you can't really use
magic EFFECTIVELY against Bone Cleaver);
2) DUPE Bone Cleaver by feigning a strong attack, and then when he goes
to attack you faster, roll away and then capitalise on his mistakes.
He does try to block the occasional hit, and when he does so, you can hit him
with a whole string of strong attacks in a combo, so whip out the best one
you've got in your repetoire.
Whenever he goes for his bolas, roll away and, if you ARE hit, make sure you
jam on the B button as fast and frequent as you can - if he gets close enough
to you, you WILL be slain immediately.
==================================================================
ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR TAKING DOWN BONE CLEAVER II IN STAGE 1
==================================================================
Mahk23 has very kindly made contact with me to provide me with some great
suggestions for doing battle with Bone Cleaver II on HARD difficulty, but I
see no reason why these cannot be applied to other difficulties just as well.
He says :-
"Center Bonecleaver in the center of the room, on the brownish tiles.
Begin to abuse the right analog stick, evading constantly, try to learn to
evade around in a circle. The reason why this works is because normally if
you pace around Bonecleaver, he waits for your attack before he moves.
However, the evade roll really seems to p!ss him off, haha. He will attack
with all his moves randomly, even if you aren't near him and he is still in
screen. Using this to your advantage, start smacking him with the good 1-2
in the openings and he falls instantly.
"The evade roll gets you out of the "shockwave" effects from the sword/chain
slam, but the roll has to already be in effect, so you can't land RIGHT when
he hits. It's a low chance but it happened to me.
"Never roll toward/away from him in a line from an attack. Instead, always
roll side to side for best evasion.
"Using the constant roll is useful against the bolas, I would say 20% of
the time he hit me."
Cheers Mahk23 =)
====================
Unless you are playing the game on normal (in which case you get a B button
prompt at the end of Stage 1 and, upon successfully pressing it, Bone
Cleaver takes a DIVE like the BITCH he is), then when you knock Bone Cleaver
down to zero health, we move on to ...
==================================
BONE CLEAVER II BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
==================================
Disposing of his two-handed sword and electing to use a ball and chain, Bone
Cleaver STILL means business (poor lad doesn't know he's already dead !!)
Ha ha.
In this stage of proceedings, his attacks are :-
A) Swift Strike (a quick once-around flick with the ball & chain - hard
to dodge, but try rolling away if you see it coming);
B) Ground Pound (different than the first time around as he's using the
ball & chain, so the move lags longer than it did with the sword
as he needs to wind up to it. When he strikes the ground it unleashes
a HEAUUUUGE shockwave, so roll or jump AWAY from him - don't jump up
if you're already in hand-to-hand *points up at the whirling ball &
chain and winks at you*); and
C) Kick (as before, but he will ALWAYS try and follow this move up with
a Swift Strike during this stage of play).
Best advise I can give you here is to try and avoid getting SPLATTED by his
ball and chain. Whilst he may be slower in bringing some moves to bear, he
is generally LESS likely to block during this stage, and poses just as much
a danger now as he did in the first stage, if not moreso. The radius of his
shockwaves is HUGE, and the game IS smart enough to work out that if you're
too close and you jump to get away from him whilst he's prepping a shockwave
attack, you WILL get chobbled up by his ball and chain above you, so BE
WARNED.
==================================================================
ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR TAKING DOWN BONE CLEAVER II IN STAGE 2
==================================================================
Again, Mahk23 has provided me with some great suggestions for this section of
the boss fight as well (if you're fighting Bone Cleaver II on HARD). He
says :-
"During the ball/chain mode, the best move to take advantage of is the one
your refer to as 'Swift Strike (a quick once-around flick with the ball &
chain - hard to dodge, but try rolling away if you see it coming);' During
that attack I found I could use the Y, Y, Y combo while using the one-handed
stance. This ended up doing massive damage to him during that fight
sequence.
"After using the X and Y combos a lot, I found that I liked using the Y, Y
combo for the 1-2's, and the Y, Y, Y combo for the situation stated above.
It seemed to produce more damage potential than the X combo variations."
Thanks again mon ami !!
Alternatively, if you're fighting Bone Cleaver II on one of the lower
difficulty settings, then you might like to put into practice the FOLLOWING
suggestion that I got from justacityboy, who says :-
"I was trying to fight him the same way I did in stage one (two handed
sword and triple-striking when he tries to block), and kept getting my ass
kicked, but then I switched to dual-wielding axes (they're in a rack on
the left side of the battle area) and it was a lot easier. You let him
kick you, and then roll behind him as soon as you can recover. You can get
3 good hard hits on him before he can recover from his swing with the ball
and chain. Makes the stage go by really quickly. When I switched to this
strategy I finished the half of the stage in about 4 more of his kicks.
If you're rolling right, you'll be just behind him on his left right
before he finishes his downward swing, so you won't take any damage from
it ... but he will from you."
Thanks justacityboy !
====================
Once he has taken 100% damage, press the B button when prompted to end this
combat and get yourself a
--- CUTSCENE ---
Just as you are about to deliver the final blow to Bone Cleaver, A'Kanna comes
RUSHING into the fight, begging you not to kill him. A voice answers her, but
it is NOT Bone Cleaver's.
"Crom's Bones !!" Conan exclaims as, before his very eyes, Bone Cleaver
changes into the form of ... Kalden !!
Conan protests that he was very much a demon, but Kalden explains that he was
not - he was simply possessed by his brother Graven.
He says that Graven wanted him to suffer and slay in his name, and so he did.
Whilst Kalden begs A'Kanna to back off as he senses a dark energy coursing
through him, she is unable to in time, and both Kalden AND A'Kanna disappear
from the room, leaving only Conan's Helmet behind.
When Conan touches the Helmet, he gets another vision - this time of him
engaging Kalden directly in conversation. Kalden confirms that A'Kanna has
fallen into Shadow, and that only by finding the Well of Dreams can Conan
find Graven and put an end to this madness once and for all.
Conan sets sail once again, for Parad Isle.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Nine.
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 1 ¦
============================================================================
ACT TEN - WELL OF DREAMS
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera pans to show A'Kanna's ship WAAAAAY below Conan, with him standing
at the edge of a mountain.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Welcome to Act Ten !
At the beginning of this act, you are given access to a new spell - your
fourth and final spell to be precise - it is simply called "Void". It takes
up FOUR bars of magical energy to cast, and sees Conan carve a rift in the
very fabric of space itself, into which all nearby enemies are sucked, never
to return.
The Void Spell can be accessed by pressing Down on the D-pad. You are also
given an additional level of magical power, bringing you up to 7 points on
your magical power bar.
> Run to your left and, as the camera pans, up, and do battle with 3 lions -
2 from the front, 1 from behind.
> Continue down the path, past the statues and onto the crumbled section of
stone that forms the valley floor.
> Here you will have your first encounter with the main adversaries of this
level - "Desert Warriors" and "Desert Pikemen". Desert Warriors are
equipped with two one-handed swords, and have a BEAUTIFUL Savage Spin the
same as yours, which they fashion into a rather nasty and ultimately very
aggravating combo; whereas Desert Pikemen, who I believe are actually even
MORE dangerous later on in the game, carry very fierce-looking two-handed
Staves, which they use to great effect.
Despatch both these FOOLS, and we can get on with our mission.
> Around the corner (just to the right of where the first of these ruffians
materialised from) you will find two green urns which you can take.
> There are two more Desert Pikemen in the back left-hand corner of this
arena which will materialise as you draw near. Slay them both.
> There are two pillars by where the Desert Pikemen materialised there are
2 pillars. Push the right-hand pillar over so that it hits the left-
hand pillar, and it will smash through a barrier, enabling you to proceed.
That's RB, tap B in case you were curious ;)
> Head down the path taking out the 2 Desert Pikemen on the pathway, and
when you get to the campfire, kill all the enemies in that area too.
There are a further 2 green urns here to help you should you need them, and
don't forget to hit the fire if you're getting flummoxed ;)
> Head off up to the left (up the path), taking out the 2 lions that drop in
unannounced, and keep following the path until you get a
--- CUTSCENE ---
The camera zooms off to show you the crux of the puzzle that lies before you.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Run forward and duck into the building on your left to get a treasure chest
and, once you are done there, return to the main pathway and OBLITERATE all
the enemies that come at you, taking GREAT care to avoid being pinned by
more than one Desert Warrior at a time, as they will cumulatively take off
HUGE amounts of damage with their Savage Spins.
> Once the area has been adequately pacified (there is a campfire and a green
down and to the left of the campfire should you need it), we can turn our
attentions to the puzzle here.
> Run up to the massive, MASSIVE door and jump up on its RIGHT hand side -
there are ledges mounted into the archway around the door.
Once you are on the top, push the pillar so that it lands on the cup on the
left of the door (RB, Y). This will cause the cups to fall out of balance,
and for the door to become partially unlocked.
Pick up the piece that fell from the pillar, and run up the slope to the
right of the door and lob that piece onto the cup on the right-hand side
of the door.
This will cause the door to become completely unlocked.
You can rescue the buxom beauty here too whilst you're at it ;)
> Now, before we go through the door we can find a new blue rune triumvirate
if you'd like ? What's that ?? Yes ??? Alright then =)
From the buxom beauty, head diagonally down and right, until you reach the
cracked stones. You'll find a brick building to your right - jump up onto
the lowest section and, lo and behold, a blue rune triumvirate !!
Don't activate it - I just wanted you to know where it was. You'll see why
in a moment.
Drop down and run all the way over to the left by what LOOKS like a tiny
arched doorway.
Head around to the left-hand side of the tower in which the archway sits,
and scramble up to the top via the ledges and you will find the SECOND blue
rune triumvirate but, again, I don't want you to activate it, for reasons
we shall come to in a moment !
Drop down and head back towards the slope, and you will come to a square
block that looks PERFECT for jumping upon, on the left-hand side of the
path.
Ascend this and jump up to the next ledge. Dispose of the lion, and keep
heading forward and, ultimately, around to the right where, when you land
on the platform, you will fall through to a hidden room beneath, which
contains the FIRST blue rune triumvirate.
Now ... ACTIVATING this little sonofabitch is even harder than FINDING it,
to such an extent that I had tried doing it in every combination I could
think of, but the distance between the three sections made it virtually
impossible to do within the time allowed.
THAT was until Be4uBuick came along, and very, VERY helpfully suggested that
the easiest way to do this particular rune triumvirate is to ROLL with it.
Therefore, if you find and locate all three sections of the blue rune
triumvirate as I've described above, and then activate them in the following
order, you should get it first time around.
1/3 - The one in the tower that you must ascend the rocks to the left to
obtain, and which is at the end of the long walkway at the top, ably
protected by the solitary lion; (then drop down and run to)
2/3 - The one to the right of the buxom beauty; AND THEN ROLL RATHER THAN
RUNNING ALL THE WAY DOWN THE SLOPE TO
3/3 - Atop the structure that houses the doorway in the northernmost wall
of this area.
Thanks to Be4uBuick for making it possible for me to obtain it !! :)
Obtaining this final blue rune triumvirate will give you 20G and the
"Armoured Up" Achievement. BONZA !! =)
> When you are ready, enter through the massive double-doors you have already
unlocked, just beside the campfire (RB, tap B, LS Up, tap B).
> Once you are inside, run to the left, down the stairs and then down the
slope. Conan will say "the lair of the Ground-Dwellers" as you approach
a ledge that looks down over a HUGE cavern.
> Drop down and use the blue stone to save your progress.
> Run to the left, demolishing the skull statue for some green energy if you
need it, and then continue left, taking out the 2 Gorillamen, the Gorillaman
Lobber hidden behind the badly cracked rock, and the 4 Desert Pikemen that
materialise to do battle with you.
> Once they are all dead, run to the LEFT and jump up the ledge to reach a
secret platform above, with a treasure chest for the plundering.
> Drop down and head back through the cavern that the Gorillaman Lobber was
guarding, and smash your way through the rocks to go onward.
> Follow the path, taking out the 2 Desert Warriors that materialise, and
then head up the ledges in the wall ahead of you, but BEFORE you do so, take
a moment to watch the order of the tar droplets, as if you touch them you
WILL take a dive.
The tar droplets are even on the first two ledges (drop, drop on ledge one,
THEN drop, drop on ledge two, THEN drop, drop on ledge one again and so on),
however the third ledge is where you're going to come a cropper.
If you go from the ground where you start up, right, right, down, down,
right you will find a secret ledge with a hidden treasure chest.
The EASIEST way of doing this section is to go all the way from the left
to the right, IGNORING the treasure chest below and then, once you've gotten
to the far right-hand side, then coming back one ledge to the ledge,
dropping down and then down again, and then finally right to reach the
treasure chest. In this way you only have to worry about dealing with one
set of two drops rather than all six drops, non ??
Once you have the treasure chest, ascend again and get off on the right-hand
side.
> Take out the Winged Lizards, and then head down the pathway.
> As you enter this next area you will be set upon by another group of 2
Gorillamen, and 2 Desert Pikemen. Slay them all. There is a Gorillaman
Lobber hidden behind the wall in the far right-hand corner (he is guarding
a blue urn), and there is a skull statue for some green health, plus a
two-handed sword, on a small island in the black tar ahead of you.
> When you are done here, head left, and then swipe and grab the chain, giving
it a damned good yanking to get through the skull wall (RB, tap B).
> In the next room, slay the Winged Lizards, and then head to the left until
you reach a bridge that runs overhead, and a Gorillaman Lobber standing atop
it, pelting you with boulders.
Jump over the black tar and tab B to ascend the close-grip rocks to reach
the bridge above. Slay the Gorillaman Lobber (unless he has overstepped his
mark and dropped to the floor below, in which case you can slay him when we
come back down), and then double-back on yourself to cross the bridge.
There is a buxom beauty waiting to be saved, and a green urn for your use.
=============================================================================
NB. FREEING THIS BUXOM BEAUTY COMPLETES FREEING ALL THE BUXOM BEAUTIES IN THE
GAME, EARNING YOU 20 GAMER POINTS AND THE "MY HERO" ACHIEVEMENT IN THE
PROCESS !! WE ROCK !!! YEAH !!!!! =)
=============================================================================
> When you are done here, run back to the close-grip section and jump off, to
get back to the ground. Then, head all the way to the left, under the
bridge, taking out the 2 Gorillamen that try and bushwhack you, and the
Gorillaman Lobber in the far corner (who is hidden in the wall).
You will see a close-grip section of wall to the right of where the
Gorillaman Lobber was hidden, and you can use this to reach the next area.
============= =============
!! WARNING !! !! WARNING !!
============= =============
> This section is a carefully designed trap - carefully designed because your
eyes will automatically be drawn to the large pillar at the back of the
room, and a less EXPERIENCED player than yourself might be tempted to just
rush over and push it over.
FORGET IT - there are QUITE a few nasty nasty men that are going to ambush
you here, and if you've pinned yourself into the corner with the pillar you
are SERIOUSLY S-C-R-E-W-E-D, believe me.
Instead, stay in the large expanse that is the room's centre, and use the
space available to you to stick and move, wiping out the waves of enemies
as you go.
The waves of enemies I just mentioned are :-
1) Desert Pikemen;
2) Desert Warriors;
3) Winged Lizards; and
4) 2 Gorillamen.
Once THEY are all slain, move over to the pillar, smash the rocks around it,
and then push it over (RB, LS Down, tap X, LS Down, tap Y) and then (RB,
tap B) and run over it to reach the end of this act.
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan walks up to the beautiful shimmering pool of water at the back of the
chamber, and a gentle, female voice speaks to him.
She bids him welcome, and asks him what he would like to see.
Conan tells her to show him Graven, and she does so by extending tendrils of
magical energy towards him, suddenly whipping him off his feet and dragging
him into the pool.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Ten.
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 2 ¦
============================================================================
ACT ELEVEN - SPIRE
This level harkens back to the training level we were in at the beginning,
which makes perfect sense plot-wise, since the game *technically* starts AFTER
the training level, as in AFTER Conan has released Graven and SCREWED US OVER,
but we'll try not to hold that against him 'coz he's so cuuuuuuuuuute *holds
out a Scooby Snack for Conan who does tricks to get it*.
*sigh*
HOKAY !! LET'S GET IT ON !! =)
> You are deposited rather unceremoniously into the centre of a large pool
in the middle of the floor. As soon as you land, one of the Giant Statues
comes to life from the wall, and moves to attack you.
DO NOT make the mistake I did and think :-
"HAHA ! I've fought you MANY times before ruffian, HAVE AT YOU !!"
*plink as his sword hits it on the big toe*
*shadows are cast over Sinister's face as his bottom lip trembles - he looks
up at the HUGE weapon being brought to bear directly at his head*
((( you get the idea )))
These boys are CONSIDERABLY tougher than they were on the training level,
but if you can remember that far back, you should have amassed the skills
needed to effectively fight them in combat - i.e. ROLLING.
Take out this nutsack and then brace yourself for more of the same, as you
are assailed by blue & purple wraiths, and 3 more of his Statue Buddies ...
There is a blue urn hidden behind the wall (press RB to kick it in) behind
the SECOND Giant Statue that attacks you.
=============================================================================
NB. DON'T FORGET THAT THE WRAITHS ARE COLOUR-CODED, SO YOU KNOW WHICH TYPE
OF WEAPONS THEY WILL HAVE AS SOON AS YOU SEE THEIR COLOUR, IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE FOLLOWING CHART :-
BLUE WRAITHS DUAL-WIELD
PURPLE WRAITHS USE SWORD-AND-SHIELD
BROWN WRAITHS USE TWO-HANDED WEAPONS
=============================================================================
> Head towards the camera, destroying the vases for additional green energy
should you need any. There is a green urn on the left-hand side of the
room, beside a pillar that collapses when you draw near, and a purple
wraith who materialises as you approach.
> When you are ready to proceed, head through the beautiful ornate doors at
the far end (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up), and move on.
> In the next room, if you run straight to the left you will find a brown
wraith, together with a further green urn. Then if you go back away from
the camera and into the distance, you will have to do battle with another
Giant Statue (on the wall to your right), as well as a brown wraith. Be
careful of the pillar just before the Giant Statue, as it is rigged to
collapse - just like in the training level really. Behind the wall the
Giant Statue was up against, you will find a treasure chest.
> Run to the left and take out the three blue wraiths.
> Head diagonally AWAY from the platform you are obviously supposed to jump
onto, and you will find another blue wraith guarding a treasure chest, which
you can plunder.
> When you're ready, double-back on yourself and jump up onto the obvious
platform - the one over the flames - and take out the blue wraith and the
Giant Statue before picking up the blue urn (if you need it).
> Jump up to the ledge behind where the Giant Statue was standing to get the
green urn (should you need it, which you PROBABLY will), smashing the other
vases should you need additional health.
> Jump over to the higher platform on your left, and venture on just a few
steps to do battle with a brown and then a purple wraith.
> Activate the giant blue orb on the left (RB, LS Down, tap X, LS Down, tap Y)
and this will cause it to fall onto the ground below, breaking it and making
a HUGE hole for you to descend into.
> SAVE YOUR GAME at the blue stone.
> Drop down the hole !
> Run to the left and take out the purple and blue wraiths before knocking
over the large blue pillar (RB, Y) and crossing over the makeshift bridge
that is created as a result, to reach the next platform.
> Here, take out the wraiths, knock over the pillar (RB, Y), note that there
is a red rune triumvirate (which we shall come back to in a few), and use
the green urn should you need to. My advice is, if you DON'T need it ?
Leave it be for the time being - we'll be coming back to activate the
triumvirate, and you might need it then ...
> Head back over the makeshift bridge, taking note that the camera WILL move
whilst you are walking over it, so DO try not to fall off, there's a good
chap ;) When you are over to the other side, head around to the other side
of the plateau, taking out the wraiths as you go, and then help yourself
to the blue and green urns should you need them. There is a second red
rune triumvirate here (just make a mental note that this is where it's at
for now).
> Against the wall you will find another blue pillar, which you should push
so that it falls directly into the ravine (RB, Y). DO NOT TRAVEL OVER THE
BRIDGE THAT FALLS JUST YET, as you will not be able to come back this way
once you have.
> Now it's time to activate this last red rune triumvirate, and obtain
ourselves 20G and the Adrenaline Rush Award. Ready ??
First, activate the first red rune triumvirate we found. You will see that
it sends out two lines, one to where we just were (where we pushed over the
last blue pillar to create the MASSIVE bridge down to the ornate double-
doors with the 2 Giant Statues against the wall), and one to the other side
of the same bridge.
Second, run back to where I just described (where we pushed over the pillar
which created the MASSIVE bridge), and activate the second red rune
triumvirate there.
Then, cross the MASSIVE bridge, and immediately run to the right, TAKING
GREAT CARE as there is a chasm you must jump over, and LEAP over the chasm
running STRAIGHT PAST the 2 wraiths that come to life, to activate the
last red rune triumvirate in the far left-hand corner. This will give you
the final Song of Death Power Bar Upgrade, together with the above-listed
achievement.
BONZA !!
> Take out the 2 wraiths (1 purple, 1 brown), and then double-back on yourself
AGAIN taking great care not to fall into the mini-chasm and die, and take
out the 2 Giant Statues (it is far easier to gingerly approach the one on
the right-hand side and leave the one on the left for afters, rather than
to take them both on at the same time), before taking the green urn as yours
and opening the large ornate doors (RB, tap B, LS Up, tap B).
> Run down the stairs and take out the purple and brown wraiths whilst being
careful to avoid the statues nearby falling on you, before opening up the
nearby treasure chest, and saving your progress at the blue stone.
> Then run around to the left, and take the blue urn and treasure chest, AGAIN
being careful to avoid falling pillars, and slay the blue wraith before
running back to the halfway point (to the left of the blue stone), and
cracking and yanking the chain (RB, tap B) to pull your doorway clear of
the stone.
> You might want to save again just to be on the safe side, and if/when you DO
PLEASE make sure that you don't overwrite your previous save - save onto a
new slot, for reasons which will become apparent in a bit ...
> Immediately as soon as the door is created, so-to-speak, a pair of wraiths
(1 blue, 1 purple) materialise on the other side, and attack you. You know
what to do ;)
> Continue down the path, take out the brown wraith on the right, and pick up
the green urn should you need it.
> Crack open the obviously-placed cracked wall section, and block immediately
as there is a blue wraith on the other side just ITCHING to do battle with
you. He is guarding a treasure chest.
> Follow the pathway as it snakes around, and drop down to the lower level,
straight into an ambush at the hands of 1 blue and 1 purple wraith. Pick
up the green urn if you need it.
> Drop down into the next area, and immediately do battle with a Giant Statue
and a blue wraith. There is ANOTHER green urn here for you if you need it,
but I would leave it for a little as there is another fight to be had before
you move onto the next area.
> Head towards the camera and pick up the blue urn, and then turn to your left
and do battle with the Giant Statue that comes to life there. Behind him
is a chain that you can yank from the wall to lead you into the next area.
Return and pick up the green urn from the right before venturing on, whether
you need it or not ;)
> There are 2 Giant Statues along the north wall which you do NOT need to
battle should you wish to avoid them - the way onward goes to the left.
I, however, am a blood- (or rather stone-)thirsty S.O.B, so I'm going to
have a pop. C'MON - I'll take you all one ...
The 2 Giant Statues are guarded by 1 blue wraith (on the right), and 1
brown wraith (on the left). There are 2 green urns inbetween them, so if
you survive the fight you can nurse yourself back to an IMPRESSIVE level of
health, even if you take a pounding. Behind where the right-hand Giant
Statue stood is a treasure chest, and behind where the left-hand Giant
Statue stood is a blue stone for you to save your progress.
> Heading to the left, you will reach a large circular dais with quite a few
wraithly suits of armour scattered about the place ... you KNOW what that
means, right ? Exactly.
============= =============
!! WARNING !! !! WARNING !!
============= =============
This bit is the first of three EXTREMELY ANNOYING sections of the game, so
BE WARNED.
> There is a Giant Statue in the centre of the Dais that must be taken out
first. Then you will be attacked by 4 wraiths - 2 blue, 1 purple, 1 brown.
> Once they are all dismissed, run off the top-left corner of the Dais, and
you will land on a platform just ever-so-slightly lower than it. A light
will shine, showing you the path forward.
============================================================================
NB. BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL AND VERY, VERY DELIBERATE IN THIS NEXT SECTION, AS
ONE WRONG MOVE WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION OF YOUR LIFE. NO "I'LL BE
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK" ... WELL ... OK, YOU *CAN* CONTINUE, BUT YOU KNOW
WHAT I MEAN, RIGHT ??
============================================================================
> Run forward and make the leap. As soon as you do, a pillar to your left
will collapse.
============================================================================
NB. IF YOU TRY TO MAKE THE LEAP AND *FAIL*, THEN, UNLESS YOU HAVE HONESTLY
JUST FLUFFED UP THE JUMP, YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING ONE OF THE MOST MAJOR
KNOWN GLITCHES IN THE GAME, BEING THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF
INVISIBLE WALL PREVENTING YOU FROM MOVING ONWARD.
WHILST I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS, FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE
MADE CONTACT WITH ME FOR ME TO BELIEVE IT IS NOT VERY REAL, AND VERY
ANNOYING.
THE JUMP IN QUESTION IS A VERY SIMPLE ONE, AND CONAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO
MAKE IT WITHOUT EVEN NEEDING TO GRAB ON AT THE OTHER SIDE. IF HE DOES,
THEN YOU'VE LUCKED OUT AND THERE'S BEEN NO GLITCH.
IF CONAN SIMPLY CANNOT MAKE THE JUMP NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, THEN THE
ONLY WAY OF GETTING AROUND THE PROBLEM IS TO RETURN TO A PREVIOUS SAVE
GAME. SORRY =./
============================================================================
============================================================================
! ! ! B R E A K I N G N E W S ! ! !
============================================================================
Pengages has been in touch with me to confirm that I am right, and that there
is most definitely a glitch within the game as he tried and tried and tried
bless him, and then he tried some more just to make sure he wasn't not trying
hard enough, and it STILL didn't work.
Furthermore, he confirms that saving previously and reloading DID cause the
glitch to go away, which is also VERY cool to know !!
Thanks Pengages :)
============================================================================
> Forward, and turn to your right and run diagonally. Ground will fall to
your left first, and then to your right, forcing you to turn and head
straight up in-line with the blue central line on the floor, and over a
gap. Make the jump.
> As soon as you do, a HUGE boulder will take out a chunk of the ground
ahead of you, forcing you again to turn and head diagonally to your right.
> Go very gingerly ahead, and you will wind up on a triangle of rocks. You
have to make a jump diagonally to your right, and then turn and head back
to your left. THIS is the most annoying bit.
> Make the jump diagonally and to the right - you CAN take your time ok ??
AS SOON AS YOU LAND, STAND STILL - DO NOT PANIC - YOU WILL BE FINE.
> See what I mean ? The ground shakes, and lesser men overcompensate, sending
them into the ABYSS *spits*.
Walk gingerly forward to the top-left corner of this, the right-hand rock
of the triangle, and the camera will pan, AGAIN throwing lesser players off
track.
> Now, back up just a touch so you can have a nice run-up to the drop, and
make the leap JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO THE EDGE, or you'll have Conan run off
to his demise.
> As soon as you land, AGAIN, to not panic. There will be another major
rumble, and a path will fall in front of you, diagonally to your left.
Take the rest of this bit VERY gently, and you will reach the end of this
VERY aggravating section.
As you approach the huge doors ahead, you will get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
As the huge doors open ahead of Conan, he is forced to shield his eyes from an
intense white light that blinds him. The room is fully bathed in light as the
doors open fully, and the act draws to a close.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have now completed Act Twelve.
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 3 ¦
============================================================================
ACT TWELVE - DARK PRISON
The act begins right in the thick of combat - Conan stands at the other side
of the gate he just came through, and is almost immediately attacked by tar-
covered warriors.
=============================================================================
NB. Since this is the last act in the game (barring the final boss fight), it
would be a prudent to save as much of your magic energy as possible, so that
you have a better chance of whupping Graven's ass.
=============================================================================
These warriors are just like the resurrected Stygian Warriors that Chimera,
the Sorceress Queen, used in her boss fight against you - they are strong en
masse given the sharpness of their claws and the unpredictability of their
attacks (they have a tendency to LURCH towards you), but they are weak
individually.
> The Tar Warriors materialise from the black tar pits, which also burn you
like acid would, so DO watch your step on this level, ok ??
> If you despatch all the Tar Warriors and the wraiths (blue, purple AND
brown) that attack you on this first area, then head to the left and you
will have to do battle with a further set of wraiths and Tar Warriors, but
it IS worth it, as there is a little area tucked-away at the side which
houses a green urn, a treasure chest and a blue urn - however the treasure
chest COULD technically be considered booby-trapped, as there is a blue
wraith waiting to come to life as soon as you open it (so be aware of that).
> If you head off the side of the main area where you started (i.e. straight
forward from the doors, or further around to the left of the side-area
we just explored), you will find a set of 4 statues, in front of which are
another group of wraiths.
Slay the wraiths, and move up to the statues. Strike them and you'll see
they all crumble.
> Move forward into what is obviously a trap, and prepare yourself for a bit
of a scrap, as Tar Warriors arise from the tar pits around you, and wraiths
take arms against you.
SLAY EVERYBODY, and proceed.
> Take out the Giant Statue at the end of this section of walkway, and then
push over the pillar to form a makeshift bridge. Watch out for the falling
pillars, and the purple and brown wraiths (1 of each) that stand just to his
right ... as well as the blue wraith by his feet. It's RB, tap B to push
the pillar over.
> As you run across the bridge, it collapses JUST shy of your reaching the
other side, so prepare yourself to do some natty jumping (any of your mates
watching, tell them to get their score cards ready). DO NOT JUMP as soon as
you see the bridge snap. This is because the far side flips up as it falls
so you'll just hit it and go down with it.
> Once you reach the other side, take out ALL the Tar Warriors, whilst taking
care to avoid the falling pillars, and then run up to the blue stone, but be
aware that it IS a trap - just look at the number of wraith suits lying
around it ffs !!!
Once they are taken care of (or even before if you're REALLY really quick),
save the game at the blue stone.
Even if you save it before they materialise, SAVE IT AGAIN AFTERWARDS, so
you don't have to fight them from scratch.
============= =============
!! WARNING !! !! WARNING !!
============= =============
THIS SECTION IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING
> Run past the next tar pit on the ground, and you will find that, as you run
towards the edge of the ledge, it will break off, and fall away. DO NOT
PANIC !! There is a second or two when the ledge will lower itself low
enough for you to comfortably make the jump, so time yourself rather than
panicking.
> Once you land on the other side, you must do battle with 3 wraiths (1 blue,
1 purple, 1 brown) and then when THEY are done with, 2 purple wraiths that
spawn from up the stairs ahead of you.
> Don't go up the stairs yet, just walk off to the right of the stairs and
do battle with the Tar Warriors, and you will be able to use the green urn
there to heal up afterwards. There is also a treasure chest in the far
right-hand corner of this section.
> Back up the stairs, and slay the 3 purple wraiths that come to life, as well
as the Tar Warriors that just can't seem to get enough of your Conan
Goodness. You can see the 2 Giant Statues up ahead ? Yep, yep - they will
ALSO come to life in a sec, and you can take them out as well.
I should mention that they are also accompanied by an entourage of 3 wraiths
(1 blue, 1 purple, 1 brown).
> Once EVERYBODY here is dead, smash open the 2 badly broken walls behind
where the Giant Statues were standing - the left-hand wall has a boulder
behind the wall, a small vase beside the wall, and a treasure chest beside
the vase; the right-hand wall has a boulder behind the wall, and a vase to
the left of it.
> Use one of the boulders to destroy the wall to the RIGHT, and then venture
forward and crack open a treasure chest.
> Jump up on the dial beside the treasure chest, and tap B to ascend, and then
have Conan jump up and to the right, and keep jumping in that direction as
fast as you can to avoid the ledges dropping off !!
> From where you land, Tar Warriors spawn from the tar pit directly ahead of
you, so take them out, and then go to the right, taking out the wraiths and
Tar Warriors, and picking up the blue urn.;
> Walk back around to the left from the blue urn, and jump up to reach the
next level. Here, beware the falling statue first and foremost, THEN brace
yourself for an onslaught.
You have to deal with your enemies in waves, as follows :-
Wave 1 - 3 Purple Wraiths;
Wave 2 - 3 Blue Wraiths;
Wave 3 - 3 Brown Wraiths;
Wave 4 - 3 Giant Statues; and
Wave 5 - Tar Warriors from 2 Tar Pits
Behind the walls the 3 Giant Statues are guarding are, from left-to-right :-
Treasure Chest - Blue Urn - Green Urn
There are blue and green urns (1 of each) in the far right-hand corner of
this area as well, and don't forget the vases in the area for additional
green energy.
> Once you are done here, head off to the right-hand side of the arena, and
open the ornate door (RB, LS Up, LS Down, LS Up).
> Run up the stairs to your right, taking out the 2 blue wraiths that attack
from the bottom, and the 1 brown wraith that descends from the top.
============= =============
!! WARNING !! !! WARNING !!
============= =============
THIS SECTION IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING
As you reach the top of the stairs Conan will say "What Spell holds back the
Water ?" Good question !!
> Defeat all the wraiths WITHOUT SETTING FOOT ON THE STEPS THAT LEAD FORWARD
PLEASE. There is a good reason for this, which we shall come to ... now !!
> As soon as you set foot on the stairs that lead forward, they will begin to
collapse, and YOU my friend must make it to the bottom (to the tar pit to
be precise).
To do this without banging your head REPEATEDLY against the desk (or anybody
else in the room), simply keep running forward, making the tiniest of
adjustments to your course as necessary. DO NOT try and flowery, over-the-
top flips and moves (like I did) *blush*.
> YOU ARE NOT SAFE until you land beside the tar pit - as in, on the same
level as the tar pit. The step immediately BEFORE the tar pit will fall,
so get off it.
> Defeat the Tar Warriors that arise from the tar pit, and then jump onto the
next platform, and then rapidly onto the platform after that.
> Use the blue stone to save your progress by the cog.
> Turn the cog (RB, tap X, then tap Y)
--- CUTSCENE ---
A small column arises ahead of you, which unleashes a blast of energy toward
the central Dais that stands before you.
Conan steps forward, shouting "Come out of your hole and Face My Blade !",
to which Graven gladly obliges.
Graven confirms that A'Kanna is "with her father, where she belongs", and
proceeds to suggest that Conan NOT get in his way, as he represents the TRUE
Gods, who are angry at what man has done to the world around him.
He says that civilisation is a sickness that he is hellbent on releasing the
planet from ... what a nut job !!!!!
Combat is assured ;)
--- END CUTSCENE ---
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 4 ¦
============================================================================
BOSS FIGHT - GRAVEN
============= =============
!! WARNING !! !! WARNING !!
============= =============
THIS IS THE MOST ANNOYINGEST BOSS-FIGHT EVER
Graven is the most difficult of the bosses in Conan and, as with every other
boss fight, his is divided up into multiple sections, being as follows :-
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1 - Plastic Man #1
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2 - The Whirligig #1
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3 - Plastic Man #2
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4 - The Whirligig #2
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5 - Plastic Man #3
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6 - The Whirligig #3
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7 - Final Cutscene
PLEASE NOTE that you will lose your Magic Spells progressively during this
boss fight. As soon as you begin the fight you will notice that you have
already lost your Stone Prison Spell (not that it would do you any good here
anyway). I will point out where you lose your other spells.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE that there is a revised strategy for defeating Graven, kindly
contributed by Dr Nordo, at the end of this boss fight, for your perusal !!
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 1
=========================
I've chosen to call this section Plastic Man because ... well ... you'll see.
Graven should have been renamed Pepparami or something 'coz he's bendy, funny
and not very intimidating unless you are DEATHLY afraid of toffee, but hey,
whatever.
In this stage of his boss fight he exhibits the following main attacks :-
A) Charged-up unblockable hit (with a delay beforehand so you can get out
of the way - roll to avoid);
B) 3-hit combo (fully blockable - either block or roll away to avoid);
C) Fist Slam (raises his fist and slams it into the ground, creating a
part of his body to shoot through the ground and strike out at you).
Engage him in hand-to-hand and, when he has taken 100% damage in this form,
Graven goes into a dramatic cutscene where you will be prompted to press a
series of buttons to overcome him.
This time around, the buttons are B, A, Y at the right time and, if you do
them in the right order, you will get to move onto the next stage of the
boss fight ... if, however, you fluff them up ? Then they will (as has been
pointed out to me by GIJoeJeff) CHANGE for your next attempt, so BE AWARE of
that. This is the same in all the similar stages of this boss fight.
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 2
=========================
The boss fight is about to take a ... DIFFERENT ... turn ...
During the second, fourth and sixth sections of this boss fight you will be
expected to activate one of the cogs around the outside of the Dais to spin
the central section OF the Dais sufficiently to align the arrow on the
central section with the cog you are manning. Once you have done this, you
will strike Graven, and lose a Magic Spell. HOWEVER, to make it harder for
you, he will attack you in a number of different stylees ... so ... here we
go.
Graven rematerialises in the centre of the Dais, and you should IMMEDIATELY
run to your right around the Dais, to the closest cog on the right, which will
be raised up in a mini-cutscene.
You need to RUN because if you're able to get there before the cutscene begins
during which the cog is raised, THIS will be your respawning point if (or
should I say when) you die.
As soon as you reach the cog, use RB to activate it and tap X like it's going
out of fashion. As soon as you have pressed the RB button, Tar Warriors will
arise on both sides of you, so you need to get as much of the turning done
as you can at this point, but try NOT to do a complete revolution of the cog,
as the animation of Conan going back to the start point to grab it again is
uninterruptible, and time-consuming, leaving you open to both tentacle- and
Tar Warrior-attacks.
==========================================================================
NB. DO NOT use a Magic Spell here - you WILL need it later on, believe me.
==========================================================================
Once you have been surrounded by Tar Warriors, run away to the right, avoiding
Graven's tentacles (you can jump over them or roll under them at this point,
but jumping is easier and safer).
Try and work out the gaps between the tentacles (they ARE equidistant), and
take out ALL the Tar Warriors when you have the opportunity. The KEY to the
Graven Boss Fight is timing and patience - DO NOT RUSH YOURSELF !!
Once all the Tar Warriors are dead move back to the cog and, once Graven
draws all his tentacles back into his body and you have a few seconds to make
your move, grab the cog again, and give it another damned good thrashing.
If you still haven't got the arrow to where it needs to be, just stand in
place and jump over the tentacles until you get another break, as there won't
be any more Tar Warriors in this stage.
Once you have aligned the symbol with the cog, you get a beautiful mini-
cutscene, in which Graven is bombarded with Fire Rain from above, and takes
a pounding.
This brings us to ...
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 3
=========================
You will have just LOST your Fire Rain Spell.
Graven rematerialises on the Dais, and enter into hand-to-hand combat with
you again.
THIS time, he exhibits the following as his main attacks :-
A) Charged-up unblockable hit (with a delay beforehand so you can get out
of the way - roll to avoid);
B) 3-hit combo (fully blockable - either block or roll away to avoid);
C) Fist Slam (raises his fist and slams it into the ground, creating a
part of his body to shoot through the ground and strike out at you).
He can either grab you or just stab you this time.
D) Downward-swipe with his claws and then a stab (which remains dangerous
for a good second or so after his animation has ended).
Once Graven has taken 100% damage in THIS stage, you are asked to press Y, X,
B, A, Y during the very nice and drawn-out cutscene, before you hand him his
butt on a plate.
This brings us to ...
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 4
=========================
Your objective here is the same as it was in stage 2, so run to the right as
fast as you can, as soon as you gain control over Conan, and start spinning
the first cog you reach.
As soon as you press RB you activate the Tar Warriors around you, and Graven's
tentacles come after you as they did last time - HOWEVER, THIS time around,
he attacks with high AND low tentacle-attacks, meaning you have to jump and
roll faster to avoid him.
Aside from that it's the same old, same old. Take out his Tar Warriors when
you get a chance, and then focus on twisting the cog so that the symbol aligns
perfectly with it.
Once you have done this, you will be treated to a further cutscene, in which
you unleash the power of your Raven Plague Spell upon him, pecking him to
pieces.
We can now proceed to ...
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 5
=========================
You will have just LOST your Raven Plague Spell.
This is the final stage in which he will engage you in hand-to-hand and AREN'T
you glad of that !!
This time he's PROPER mad, and uses the following as his main attacks.
A) Charged-up unblockable hit (with a delay beforehand so you can get out
of the way - roll to avoid);
B) 3-hit combo (fully blockable - either block or roll away to avoid);
C) Fist Slam (raises his fist and slams it into the ground, creating a
part of his body to shoot through the ground and strike out at you).
He can either grab you or just stab you this time too.
D) Downward-swipe with his claws and then a stab (which remains dangerous
for a good second or so after his animation has ended).
E) Block-breaker combo with unblockable finish (sounds like an advert for
BLEACH or something !! This is an aggravating combo where the energy
trails are orange for the first four hits, and then red for the fifth,
unblockable attack. Roll away to avoid it.
Once he has taken 100% damage in this form, you will be promped to press Y, X,
B, A, Y, tap X, B at the appropriate time to BEAT that MUTHA down, which takes
us to the PENULTIMATE stage of the fight ...
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 6
=========================
You will be DELIGHTED to hear that this is the last of the SECOND phase of
combat with Graven that you will have to endure ... err ... I mean ENJOY !! =)
In THIS stage, as with stages 2 and 4, you must run to the right, get to the
cog ASAP, press RB tap X to spin it, HOWEVER ... THIS time Graven will send
out warriors from the central tar pit AND the tar pit around the last cog (and
that's a LOT of Tar Warriors). The ones that come from the central tar pit
WILL re-spawn, so crowd-control is only a partial solution here.
Additionally, his tentacles follow the same basic pattern as the fourth stage,
but they tend to shoot out a bit more randomly, which can intimidate the
less-diehard player.
You need never fight the Tar Warriors - just run around the outside of the
Dais avoiding the tentacles, and they will slowly pursue you. Then, as and
when the opportunity presents itself, grab the cog and tap X with all your
might to twist it.
Once you have aligned the symbol with the cog, you get to ...
=========================
GRAVEN BOSS FIGHT STAGE 7
=========================
DO NOT PUT YOUR CONTROLLER DOWN - this IS a cutscene, but it is ALSO a fight
so be ready ;)
--- CUTSCENE ---
The ground underneath Graven ignites, and a hole is burnt into the Dais where
he stands.
He plummets down to what looks like his demise, but as Conan is just about
to breathe a sigh of relief, Graven shoots a tentacle up and wraps it around
Conan's leg, in a Gandalf stylee.
Conan is dragged down into the depths of the earth along with Graven, and the
fight continues.
You must Tap Y, and then press X, B, and finally Tap A to beat this BOZO.
============================================================================
¦ IMPORTANT NOTE ¦
============================================================================
¦ It is possible that you will be asked to the A button before the above ¦
¦ list of buttons - I have been reliably informed of this by cyberwrat, so ¦
¦ please be aware of that ... thanks cyberwrat =) ¦
============================================================================
===========================================================================
D R N O R D O ' S A L T E R N A T I V E G R A V E N S T R A T E G Y
===========================================================================
I found a couple of neat strategies for this fight that weren't mentioned in
your strat. With patience I was able to beat Graven without taking any
damage.
In the 3 Plasticman stages I found that it was very effective to dance just
out of melee range with Graven and wait for him to attack. Watch for his
combo and his move where he punches through the ground, especially. After he
does his combo you can take a couple of steps forward and hit him with
Uppercut (I found the 2H weapons to be the most effective against him). When
you see him about to do the "punch through the floor" move, jump towards him.
If done properly this will dodge the attack and put you directly in melee
range where you can get a double heavy combo. More than 2 strikes puts you
at risk though. As for his attack where he makes the single (red) strike, I
found it was best to just ignore that attack. It turned out that he would
oftentimes take that opportunity to do a "punch through the ground" and if
Conan is in the middle of an attack he's not going to be able to dodge it.
With this tactic you can take him down in all 3 Plasticman phases without
taking any damage.
For the Whirlygig phases I did like you mentioned and ran directly right to
the first cog and started grinding away at it until the Tar Men spawned and
then immediately started running CCW (to the right). I found that you can
maintain an orbit where you will not ever have to jump over a tentacle
(because you are moving around the room at the same speed that Graven is
rotating). Maintaining this orbit also has two other key advantages. First
of all, the time it takes you to run around the room once is almost exactly
the time that Graven will be throwing out his tentacles meaning that once you
get back to the cog you will be free to rotate it.
Now you might be wondering about the Tar Men. Well, the other advantage of
maintaining the proper orbit around Graven is that the Tar Men tend to become
bunched up together and by the time you arrive back at the cog they tend to
be a considerable distance away giving ample opportunity to crank on the cog
for a few seconds before Graven's tentacles spawn again. Then go back to
orbiting Graven and heading back for the cog. I found that trying to fight
the Tar Men was far too risky. If they hit you once they're gonna stun you
and leave you wide open for Graven's tentacles which will rip you apart and
leave you vulnerable to further Tar Man combos. So yeah, all 6 phases I
never killed a single Tar Man. It worked wonders.
============================================================================
¦ T H A N K S D R N O R D O ¦
============================================================================
As Conan delivers the final blow to Graven, he expires (Graven, not Conan),
but his life force is rekindled by the Gods he has enslaved ... not to SAVE
him, OH no - to exact their revenge upon him for having bastardised their
powers and abused his position as Guardian of their Ancient Magics.
A'Kanna disappears - teleported away perhaps ?
With Graven gone, Conan swims to the surface of the now natural waters again,
with A'Kanna nowhere to be seen.
He never saw her again, nor she him - but she was NOT slain as had been his
fear. The Gods took pity upon her, and brought her safely to shore.
A'Kanna, it transpires, was the narrator of the tale the whoooooole time.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Congratulations ! You have completed the game !!
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 5 ¦
============================================================================
MASTER CLASS - COMBAT
Combat is the main element that makes Conan such an enjoyable title to play.
Combat, and boobies for the boys. ANYHOW, the combat system in Conan is very
easy to get to grips with, generally very responsive and GREAT fun to use,
but if you want to know how to get the MOST out of it ? I have a number of
helpful hints and tips for you to consider.
Before we get to those, however, let's go through the whole combat spiel from
start to finish.
You move Conan using the thumbsticks - the left thumbstick gets him to either
walk or run around in whatever direction you push, and the right thumbstick
gets him to roll in whatever direction you push.
Fighting is done by pressing any of the X, Y, B, A, LB, LT, RB and RT buttons,
each of which produces a different result as follows :-
X - Fast/Light Attack (Quick, but doesn't do a lot of damage);
Y - Slow/Strong Attack (Slower, but does lots more damage);
B - Grab/Throw (Grapples your enemy for a throw/hold that will stun them);
A - Jump;
LB - Casts whatever Spell you currently have selected;
LT - Block/Parry;
RB - Pick up Item/Weapon; and
RT - Throw Weapon
Any idiot can wade into enemies and just randomly mash the buttons in the hope
that he's going to come out on top - however this is a MASTER CLASS people,
so we are aiming for the HIGHEST echelons of fighting prowess, non ??
Therefore OUR combat techniques will centre around the following :-
1) The individual strike;
2) The combo attack; and/or
3) The counter-attack.
=====================
THE INDIVIDUAL STRIKE
=====================
The individual strike is, very simply, where you hit the buttons but do not
pull off a recognisable combo. It is the simplest fighting style to adopt,
and will reflect most of your initial play (without this or a similar guide
to work with at least).
================
THE COMBO ATTACK
================
Striking the right buttons in the right combination (e.g. X,X,X,X) will (if
you have purchased the appropriate combo and are wielding the right type of
weaponry) execute a combo attack.
Each combo attack has its own name - e.g. "Fast Strike Finisher" or "The
Barbarian", giving it its own identity.
In order to buy combo attacks, you must acquire red runes (which you can get
by either slaying enemies, freeing buxom beauties or cracking open treasure
chests). Once you have obtained enough red runes to enable you to buy a
combo attack, a tiny little depiction of the back button will appear in the
bottom left-hand corner of the screen, to show you that you can purchase a
combo attack.
Pressing the back button will take you into the Combat Abilities screen.
===========================
THE COMBAT ABILITIES SCREEN
===========================
I have already described this, but for the sake of completeness here is a
considerably more in-depth appraisal of that screen.
The Combat Abilities screen has five icons running along the top, being :-
1) "Ready to Learn" - a picture of Conan's face;
2) "General Move" - a picture of an open hand;
3) "One-Handed" - a picture of a sword on a shield;
4) "Dual-Wield" - a picture of two crossed swords; and
5) "Two-Handed" - a picture of two hands gripping a large sword.
You will make all your combo attack purchases on the first screen - the
"Ready to Learn" screen - but if you cycle through the second to fifth screens
you will see those combo attacks that you have already learned in that combat
style, together with confirmation of your current level of mastery in each.
You will also see question marks beside those combo attacks which are in this
particular fighting style, but which you have NOT yet learned, for your
reference.
Beneath the icons at the top there is a run-down of certain key pieces of
information regarding each of the combo attacks on offer, so here are some
notes about those :-
* The image to the left of the combo's name corresponds with one of the icons
for screens 2-5, so for example at the top of the list are two combos with
the same name - "Fast Strike Finisher" - HOWEVER, one is only useable when
you have a sword and/or shield (the FIRST one), and the other is useable
only when you are wielding two single-handed weapons (the SECOND one).
* The button combo to the right of the combo's name is (rather obviously) the
combination of buttons you need to press to do the combo successfully.
* A description of the combo is at the bottom of the screen, with two figures
to the right of it. The first figure - that under "Experience Cost" -
shows you how many experience points you have to give up in order to buy
this combo; the second figure - that under "Experience" - shows you how
many experience points you have amassed.
IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT that you realise that you do NOT have to spend all
your experience points in one gigantic splurge. You CAN if you would like,
but some of the combos on offer are well worth saving up for, so I would
strongly suggest you don't always blow your experience on the cheapest combo
available ... juuuuuuuuuuuust a thought ;)
Read through the combos to see what you like - if you are the type of player
that likes to build up a broad base of skills across all the different
fighting styles, then you will want to pick up as many combos as possible. If
however you are the type of player that thinks "Pfffft, I'm NEVER going to
use a twin-handed weapon - they're WELL biff", then there is absolutely NO
point in buying combos for that weapon type, non ??
=================
MASTERING A COMBO
=================
Once you have performed a combo attack a certain number of times, you will
attain what is called "Mastery" of that combo. This means that doing the
combo from THAT point on will result in bigger rewards for you (greater green,
red and blue rune deposits mostly).
==================
THE COUNTER-ATTACK
==================
The third (and MOST satisfying) method of combat in Conan is what is called
the Counter-Attack. This is where you parry an incoming attack, and counter
it, thus slaying your opponent immediately.
It goes without saying that this type of attack cannot be used against bosses
(more's the pity as most of them RICHLY deserve it !!).
If you acquaint yourself with the LT button (the left-hand trigger button at
the back of your controller), you will find that by pressing and holding it,
Conan blocks as many incoming attacks as he can. If he has a shield, he can
block more attacks (the so-called "unblockable" attacks - or at least some
of them), but it's very simple to block - you literally just hold the left
trigger, and he's blocking as much as he can.
PARRYING, however, is another kettle of fish. Think of parrying as a gold
medal performance, whilst blocking is the bronze.
In order to successfully parry an incoming attack, you must press the LT (left
trigger) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOU ARE STRUCK. This means you have to watch your
opponent to see what they're doing, and time your parry just right. In order
to make your life easier, try parrying the easier enemies first, just to get
a feel for how to parry well, and THEN try your hand at parrying the more
powerful enemies later in the game.
==========================================================================
NB. GENERALLY-SPEAKING, YOU CANNOT PARRY BOSSES - YOU CAN ONLY BLOCK THEM.
==========================================================================
When you have successfully parried an attack you WILL know about it, because
one of the letters X, Y or B will appear immediately over your head. If you
respond quickly enough by pressing the corresponding button on your controller
you will find that Conan counter-attacks (thus slaying his enemy).
The counter-attacks in Conan are nothing short of BRUTAL, and will leave your
jaw in your LAP the first few times you see them - some of them are literally
BREATHTAKING.
Each fighting style has its own set of counter-attacks, and I have taken the
liberty of listing them in section 0 2 6 below :-
===================
THE FIGHTING STYLES
===================
Since you now know what the different fighting styles are (grappling, one-
handed weapon (with, or without shield), dual-wield and two-handed weapon),
we should go into more depth on the fighting styles so that I can explain
their respective strengths and weaknesses.
=========
GRAPPLING
=========
Grappling your enemies involved grabbing them, and man-handling them. You
can only grapple those enemies that are either stunned, or are weaker (i.e.
smaller) than you. You cannot grapple larger enemies as they have a habit of
countering your grapple and kicking you squah in the noots ;)
If you are able to successfully grapple an enemy, you can execute any of the
"General Moves" listed above (provided you have purchased them), or just throw
your enemy (which is your standard grapple move) around the area.
Throwing is arguably the most USEFUL of the moves available, as you can throw
them into their comrades, or off ledges (hurling them to their deaths in the
process), or even into spiked walls or fences (which is rather satisfying I
must say).
Grappling is NOT the best form of combat, and should be used with due
consideration for your surroundings.
Here is a list of all the grappling moves in the game :-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BODY THROW
HOW TO DO : B
DESCRIPTION : Grab a small enemy and throw him
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BODY SLAM
HOW TO DO : B, B
DESCRIPTION : Grab a small enemy and slam him to the ground
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : PILEDRIVER
HOW TO DO : B, X
DESCRIPTION : Grab a small enemy and drive his head into the ground
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : 2 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BACKBREAKER
HOW TO DO : B, Y
DESCRIPTION : Grab a small enemy and break his back
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CAMEL PUNCH
HOW TO DO : B
DESCRIPTION : Quick punch that stuns, setting up enemy for further attacks
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DEATH STOMP
HOW TO DO : Prone + X
DESCRIPTION : Quick kick to a prone enemy
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE DEATH STOMP
HOW TO DO : Prone + X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up kick to a prone enemy
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DEATH STOMP FINISHER
HOW TO DO : Prone + X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Finishing kick to a prone enemy
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : LAST BREATH
HOW TO DO : Prone + Y
DESCRIPTION : Finish a prone enemy
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
==========
ONE-HANDED
==========
One-Handed fighting is basically two different styles in one. You can wield
a one-handed weapon (such as a short sword or an axe), OR you can with the
same weapon WITH A SHIELD in your other hand. Regardless of which
configuration you go for, you will be deemed to be fighting "one-handed".
IF YOU HAVE A SHIELD EQUIPPED you will be able to block arrows. This is the
ONLY way to block arrows in Conan - if you don't have a shield you will have
to roll or otherwise dodge out of their way to avoid being perforated like a
rather fetching tea bag.
Additionally, carrying a shield gives you added protection from unblockable
hits. It doesn't enable you to block EVERY unblockable hit in the game, but
lower-level enemies will be blocked by your shield.
Therefore my suggestion, if this is the type of style that appeals to you,
is to try and combine the one-handed weapon WITH a shield.
You can throw the shield and then go and pick it up, which is nice - however
the shield does impact on your ability to grapple, as sometimes you will use
the shield to slice an enemy's head off rather than get them into a close-
quarters hold (but hey ! It's aaaaaaaaaall good) ;)
There is another variation to the one-handed fighting school, which is where
you combine a one-handed weapon with a lit torch. In this fighting style,
you can execute the finishing moves and standard moves of the one-handed
school, but you can also finish up a combo by swiping an enemy (or animal)
with your torch, causing significant burn damage (and much hilarious laughter)
in the process.
You can also use the RB button to ignite combustible material, such as tents,
wooden platforms, vines, and so on.
Here is a list of all the one-handed moves in the game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CROM'S CURSE
HOW TO DO : Parry + B
DESCRIPTION : Pull a small enemy's guts out with Conan's bare fist
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SKULL CRUSHER
HOW TO DO : Parry + X
DESCRIPTION : Decapitate a small enemy from behind
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CLEAVE IN TWAIN
HOW TO DO : Parry + Y
DESCRIPTION : Toss a small enemy into the air then slice him in half
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SHIELD SHAKER
HOW TO DO : B
DESCRIPTION : Quick punch using Conan's shield to break his shield
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : AIR STRIKE
HOW TO DO : In Air + X
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike in midair
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE AIR STRIKE
HOW TO DO : In Air + X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up strike in midair
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : TRIPLE STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Repeated strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Finishing fast strike combo
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : ELBOW STUN
HOW TO DO : X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Stun a small enemy, setting him up for further attacks
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Stun
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : WARRIOR SUPLEX
HOW TO DO : X, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Grab a small enemy and slam him down creating a shockwave
EFFECTS : Grapple, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : THIEF OF BEL
HOW TO DO : X, Y, B
DESCRIPTION : Disarm an enemy's weapon and use it in Dual Wield
EFFECTS : Unblockable
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BEL'S WRATH
HOW TO DO : X, Y, B, X
DESCRIPTION : Disarm and use an enemy's weapon against him
EFFECTS : Unblockable
BONUS : 5 Green Runes + 1 Blue Rune
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BEL'S REVENGE
HOW TO DO : X, Y, B, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Disarm and hit an enemy repeatedly with his own weapon
EFFECTS : Unblockable
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BEL'S GAMBIT
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, X
DESCRIPTION : Fling a small enemy's weapon into the air and strike his head
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CIMMERIAN CHARGE
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Powerful charge attack
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : 2 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SHIELD SLAYER
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Uppercut strike with a shield
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HYBORIAN HEAD SMASH
HOW TO DO : Y, X
DESCRIPTION : Stun a small enemy with a powerful headbutt
EFFECTS : Grapple, Unblockable, Stun
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : MONKEY SLAM
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Hold a small enemy by the neck then slam him to the ground
EFFECTS : Grapple, Unblockable
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : USURPER THROW
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, Y, B
DESCRIPTION : Throw a small enemy after neck hold
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SPINNING DEATH
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, Y, Y + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Spin a small enemy repeatedly
EFFECTS : Grapple, Sweep
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAD POP
HOW TO DO : Y, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Decapitate small enemy with Conan's shield
EFFECTS : Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SHIELD STRIP
HOW TO DO : Y, X, B
DESCRIPTION : Grab an enemy's shield
EFFECTS : Grapple, Shield Removal
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : IMMOLATION
HOW TO DO : Flaming Torch + X, X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Light multiple enemies on fire
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY AIR ATTACK
HOW TO DO : In Air + Y
DESCRIPTION : Descending heavy air strike
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y
DESCRIPTION : Opening heavy strike with weapon
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY RUNNING STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y
DESCRIPTION : Opening heavy strike while running
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Follow up heavy strike with weapon
DESCRIPTION : Shield Breaker, Heavy
EFFECTS : None
BONUS :
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing heavy combo strike
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
==========
DUAL-WIELD
==========
Dual-Wield is THE fighting style for me I have to say. Whilst it is arguably
the poor relation of the four styles you have available to you, it is most
certainly the flashiest and most breathtaking visually.
You can combine any two one-handed weapons - they needn't be the same, and so
it's just as viable for you to play in Dual-Wield mode with two axes, two
short swords, or an axe and a short sword - your choice entirely.
Unfortunately you cannot block arrows with Dual-Wield, which would have been
nice but I can appreciate that they wanted to keep that solely for those of
you that like to use the shield.
Dual-Wield is arguably the quickest fighting style in the game, and you can
throw one (or both, if you have a sword on your back) of your weapons at your
enemies and pick them up (if they hit) later, so you always have at least one
projectile attack available to you when you are Dual-Wielding.
There is a certain level of versatility in fighting as a Dual-Wield specialist
insofar as some combos include block breaking moves, whilst others are able
to be extended (not indefinitely, but try the improved variation of the
standard Windmill Combo, and you'll see what I mean).
If you're interested in more flash than substance, and the GENUINE "Wow"
factor of slaughtering enemies like a pro, then this is perhaps the fighting
style for you !!
Here is a list of all the dual-wield moves in the game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : GWAHLUR'S LEAP
HOW TO DO : Parry + B
DESCRIPTION : Vicious stab into an enemy's shoulders, finishing with a mighty
leap
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BLADE FURY
HOW TO DO : Parry + X
DESCRIPTION : Multiple rapid slashes with a finishing kick to the ground
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAD STOMP
HOW TO DO : Parry + Y
DESCRIPTION : Decapitating head stomp after flinging the enemy into the air
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : AIR STRIKE
HOW TO DO : In Air + X
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike in midair
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE AIR STRIKE
HOW TO DO : In Air + X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up strike in midair
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : TRIPLE STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Repeated strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : QUAD STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Continuing strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Finishing uppercut strike
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : THE BARBARIAN
HOW TO DO : X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Fierce sideways strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : WHIRLWIND
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Windmill strike that lands multiple hits
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SAVAGE SPIN
HOW TO DO : X, X, X + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Quick spin attack that can land multiple hits
EFFECTS : Sweep
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : BLACK RIVER RAGE
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Follow up windmill strike that lands multiple hits
EFFECTS : Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : THE MERCENARY
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing attack that can decapitate an enemy
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CIMMERIAN CYCLONE
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, X + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Quick spin attack that can be repeated for multiple hits
EFFECTS : Sweep
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : WHEEL OF DEATH
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Quick, low spin move that damages enemy's legs
EFFECTS : Unblockable
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SORCERER'S SHOCK
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Powerful shockwave that sends enemies flying
EFFECTS : Shockwave
BONUS : 10 Blue Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FURY KICK
HOW TO DO : Y, X
DESCRIPTION : Powerful kick that sends small enemies flying
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY AIR ATTACK
HOW TO DO : In Air + Y
DESCRIPTION : Descending heavy air strike
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike with both weapons
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Follow up attack with both weapons
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : TRIPLE HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Repeated attack with both weapons
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing attack with both weapons
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
==========
TWO-HANDED
==========
Ah, yes - the slowest, and most powerful of all the fighting styles available
to you is, without a doubt, the Two-Handed Fighting Style.
Whilst you will suffer with your attack speed, you will increase with your
reach, often being able to strike 2, or even sometimes 3 enemies at the same
time, resulting in MASS carnage (and a couple more achievements if you know
what I mean) ;).
There are a few drawbacks to fighting with the Two-Handed school, such as
blocking still isn't on par with the One-Handed School's sword-and-shield
combo, the reduction in speed is palpable, and (of course) you only have the
one weapon available to you, so if you throw it you'll be immediately busted
back to the One-Handed fighting school, as Conan draws his trusty sword from
the scabbard at his back.
Two-Handed is a good option for boss fights (once you've learned how they
attack you, and can time your strikes well), and large groups of enemies,
but variety being the spice of life, I tend to dip more into the Two-Handed
style periodically, than rely on it exclusively ... but that's just me.
As I have mentioned previously, you will NOT be able to block arrows with a
two-handed weapon, so don't even try.
Here is a list of all the two-handed moves in the game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CROM'S CURSE
HOW TO DO : Parry + B
DESCRIPTION : Pull a small enemy's guts out with Conan's bare fist
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : STEPS OF HELL
HOW TO DO : Parry + X
DESCRIPTION : Vertically slice a small enemy after running up his chest
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DEMON'S DESCENT
HOW TO DO : Parry + Y
DESCRIPTION : Vertically slice a small enemy after tossing him into the air
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : 1 Blue Rune
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X
DESCRIPTION : Opening strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : AIR FAST STRIKE
HOW TO DO : In Air + X
DESCRIPTION : Quick spinning strike in mid air
EFFECTS : Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE STRIKE
HOW TO DO : X, X
DESCRIPTION : Follow up 360 strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : FAST STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : X, X, X
DESCRIPTION : Finishing uppercut strike
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : UPPERCUT
HOW TO DO : X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Uppercut strike that sends a small enemy into the air
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : OUTLAW'S HILT
HOW TO DO : X, X, B
DESCRIPTION : Damage an enemy's head with the hilt of Conan's weapon
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : THE BLOODY CROWN
HOW TO DO : X, X, B, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing vertical strike that can cleave an enemy in half
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : GEMCUTTER
HOW TO DO : Y, X
DESCRIPTION : Quick groin kick that leaves a small enemy stunned (OUCH !!)
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : 2 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : KING'S EXECUTION
HOW TO DO : Y, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing vertical strike that cuts the enemy in half
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : STYGIAN SKEWER
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Stab a small enemy directly in the gut
EFFECTS : Grapple, Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : STYGIAN SKEWER FLING
HOW TO DO : X, X, Y, Y + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Spin a small enemy around, smashing into other enemies
EFFECTS : Grapple
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : MITRA'S HAND
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y, X
DESCRIPTION : Finishing strike that sends a shockwave that damages other
enemies
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : 10 Blue Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : CAPTAIN'S RUSH
HOW TO DO : X + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Quick sweeping charge attack
EFFECTS : Heavy
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : GIANT'S CRUSH
HOW TO DO : Y + Hold
DESCRIPTION : Powerful shockwave that sends enemies flying
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy, Shockwave
BONUS : 5 Green Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : SLAYER'S BLADESAW
HOW TO DO : X, X, X, Y
DESCRIPTION : Throw Conan's sword spinning towards an enemy
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : 10 Green Runes + 2 Blue Runes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y
DESCRIPTION : Opening heavy strike with weapon
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY DESCENDING
HOW TO DO : In Air + Y
DESCRIPTION : Descending heavy air strike
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : DOUBLE HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Follow up heavy strike with weapon
EFFECTS : None
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : TRIPLE HEAVY STRIKE
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Follow up heavy strike with weapon
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOVE : HEAVY STRIKE FINISHER
HOW TO DO : Y, Y, Y, Y
DESCRIPTION : Finishing heavy combo strike
EFFECTS : Shield Breaker, Heavy
BONUS : None
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================
COMBAT TECHNIQUES
=================
So !! Now that we've had a look at the basics of combat, and the four main
fighting styles that are available to you during play, let's move up a step
and take on board some master-class tips, shall we ??
=====================
DOMINATING IN A 1-2-1
=====================
If you're looking to impress your mates then pick your fights carefully.
Conan is a FAR more skilled combatant than any individual enemy he faces,
with the possible exception of the Boss Fights, and so if you're in a 1-2-1
situation, take your time - don't rush your enemy, wait for them to attack
you and then parry and beat the mofo down ... then bask in the glory of the
kill.
=====================================
MULTIPLE ADVERSARIES AT THE SAME TIME
=====================================
When you are tackling multiple enemies at the same time, they will (as a
matter of course) attempt to surround you, to make their attacks more
effective.
This is absolutely fine - however you MUST learn to prioritise which enemies
to take out first.
As a master, you should be looking to take out any ranged units first, so
archers and spellcasters should be the first to fall. If you don't manage
to get to them immediately, then try and manoeuvre your enemies so that they
are standing inbetween you and the ranged units, as they WILL take damage from
arrows, energy blasts, explosions and so on and so forth.
Once you have bested all the ranged units, THEN and ONLY then would I look to
allow myself to be surrounded by the other attackers, and I would then focus
on watching out for the enemies with the quicker attacks first. In most
levels you will encounter 2-3 different levels of average enemy, with the
lowest being slow and dull, and the higher being quicker, stronger and smarter
so in the first two acts it would be the brown-shirted pirates and/or pirate
bosses, NOT the white pirates whereas in act three it would be the Stygian
Pikemen and NOT the Stygian Swordsmen.
You will find it easier to take out the weaker enemies first obviously, but
you should almost allow your peripheral vision to pick up on when they are
about to attack you, as their attacks are slow, predictable, and easily
parried. Hawkishly watch the stronger enemies for signs that THEY are about
to launch an attack at you (and whether you will be able to parry it, or
whether it will be unblockable), and respond accordingly.
When you ARE surrounded, and multiple enemies begin to attack you, try and
concentrate on parrying the one that will hit you first (because attempting
to block that one and parry somebody else is tricky at best), and ignoring
the others. Once you have successfully parried an attack, the game slows
down just a touch which should give you the time to counter-attack the first
enemy, and conveniently side-step or spin away from the other inbound attacks
no worries at all - it's all just a matter of keeping a level head, and
watching the timing.
Finally, when you are engaging multiple enemies at the same time, LEARN TO
MASTER THE ROLL TECHNIQUE. You can roll away, sometimes even during a brief
repose in a combo, and almost CERTAINLY if your enemy fails to strike you
with one of the hits of whatever combo THEY are attempting to pull off at a
given time, and so you can REALLY put rolling into and out of combat
situations to GREAT use - a prime example being whenever you have to fight
more than one lion at a time. Hit-and-move (roll), rinse and repeat !!
========
FEIGNING
========
Feigning is the process of making it look like you're going to do one thing,
and then going and doing another. Whilst the AI in the game is not the best,
you will experience great benefits during combat if you feign or dupe your
opponent into making a move, and then taking advantage of their committing TO
that move, particularly if they are bigger and/or slower than you.
Therefore if you go to strike a pirate boss with a strong attack, and he goes
to block, he has committed to blocking. You can roll away (if you haven't
already gone too far into the strong attack), and attack him from another
angle.
Granted it doesn't ALWAYS work, but there are times when this technique will
pay off and you will go "Hmmmmmmmm ... so Sinister DOESN'T just like the
sound of his own voice" ... ;)
====
LURE
====
Since your enemies will follow you around once they have spotted you, if there
are archers with explosive arrows pelting the arena floor (such as in the
first Bone Cleaver fight, you can lure your enemies so that they actually walk
over the exploding arrows and, if your timing is right, they will go booooom !
MUCH hilarity to be had doing that I assure you !!
========
THROWING
========
Whilst throwing an enemy at another enemy doesn't do a huge amount of damage
to either, it CAN result in stun damage, which leaves the enemy/ies vulnerable
to massive amounts of damage for a few secs (you can even finish them in a
variety of suitable brutal ways if you choose to).
=========
FLASHBOMB
=========
If you want to do something VERY special, hurl a burning torch into a fire
and watch the sparks FLY, OR strike the fire with a weapon for the same
effect ;)
The fire will recharge over time, but you should rely upon this as a last-
ditch effort if you're getting crowded whilst around a campfire, as it will
act like a mini-shockwave, sending any enemies too close to the flames flying
away.
================
ATTACKING FASTER
================
[Thanks to my brother for this one]
Conan's finishing animations for some of his combos are BEAUTIFUL, but quite
drawn-out (for dramatic purposes). If you incorporate a roll at the end of
a combo, you will achieve 2 things. Firstly, you will make yourself harder
to hit, and SECONDLY you will cut the combo animation short, enabling you to
attack again quicker. Use this technique to therefore significantly increase
the speed and ferocity with which Conan can attack.
===========================
HIGHER-RANKING CHAIN COMBOS
===========================
It goes without saying that it is possible to get some VERY high-hitting
combos in the game. In order to do this you will obviously need a LOT of
enemies to go through, and some multi-hit combos to keep you going ... an
especially good one to accrue HUGE numbers of hits (because you're going to
want to use something that hits a lot of times and does comparatively little
damage, so you can keep your enemies alive for longer) is the Dual-Wield
School's "Wheel of Death" move (X, X, X, X, Y).
HOWEVER, in order to bolster your chances of getting really stupidly high-
hitting combos, you can adopt one of two techniques that my brother and I
use - they are different, so I'll let you decide.
- I would take full advantage of the slow-down that takes place when Conan
completes a combo LIKE the Wheel of Death, and do a forward roll AFTER
he's finished the move to position yourself for its next instance;
- He would roll just before the end of the combo to give him a tiny bit
more time to get into position to do his next instance of the combo (or,
knowing him, a totally different combo - he likes to mix it up).
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 6 ¦
============================================================================
MASTER CLASS - FATALITIES
Since the fatalities (which are achieved by parrying an attack, and then
successfully counter-attacking when prompted) vary depending on the fighting
style you adopt, there are quite a few different ways of slaying your enemy
in any given situation.
Therefore, in order to try and make the entire process of finding the right
move for you as easy as possible, I thought I would write out the fatalities/
counter-attacks down for you, to make your life that little bit easier.
=============
GENERAL MOVES
=============
These are not, generally-speaking, considerable as counter-attacks, as you
can only really use them when an enemy is NOT attacking you, or when they are
stunned. However, here is the list.
B - Grapple and Throw your enemy
B, X - Grapple and Piledrive your enemy into the ground
B, Y - Grapple and perform a Backbreaker on your enemy
B, B - Grapple and Powerslam your enemy into the ground
==========================
ONE-HANDED COUNTER-ATTACKS
==========================
Parry, X - "Skull Crusher"
Conan grabs an enemy, swivels around behind him putting his
weapon to the enemy's throat as he turns, and decapitates
his foe with a twist, and a fountain of blood ensues.
Parry, Y - "Cleave in Twain"
Conan elbows his enemy in the face, causing them to fly
back and at an angle from him (a 90 degree angle to be
precise). As they fly back, he brings his blade down in a
sharp arc, cutting them clean in half at the waist.
Parry, B - "Crom's Curse"
Conan rams his fist into his opponent's torso, ripping out
their intestines as he draws it back out again. This move
is considered as different and separate from the Two-Handed
counter of the same name, so both skills must be levelled-up
independently of each other.
==========================
DUAL-WIELD COUNTER-ATTACKS
==========================
Parry, X - "Blade Fury"
Conan slices and dices his enemy with a large number of
opposing cuts, and then kicks them away causing all their
extremities to fly off in different directions.
Parry, Y - "Head Stomp"
Conan kicks his enemy so that they spin away from him at an
angle, and then leaps into the air, spiralling as he goes.
Once the angles are just right, Conan boots his enemy in the
head with such force that they are decapitated, and their
head bounces away !
Parry, B - "Gwahlur's Leap"
Conan's most amazing move of all, he jumps at his opponent
and stabs them in the shoulders (with a downwards thrust) to
give him purchase on their body. Then he stabs them again,
getting better grip on both weapons, which he then twists as
he backflips off his foe's body, slicing off both their arms
in the process !! AMAZING.
==========================
TWO-HANDED COUNTER-ATTACKS
==========================
Parry, X - "Steps of Hell"
Conan uses his opponent as a springboard, stepping on and
then jumping off their knee, to give him enough lift to
bring the full force of his attack down upon their head,
splitting them clean in half.
Parry, Y - "Demon's Descent"
Conan hurls his two-handed weapon up into the air, catching
his enemy under the chin with an uppercut as he goes. This
causes his hapless adversary to soar up into the air, where
they become impaled upon his weapon. As enemy and weapon
descend to terra firma, Conan grabs the weapon and jerks it
violently, causing his enemy to split in half on the ground.
Parry, B - "Crom's Curse"
Conan rams his fist into his opponent's torso, ripping out
their intestines as he draws it back out again. This move
is considered as different and separate from the One-Handed
counter of the same name, so both skills must be levelled-up
independently of each other.
============================================================================
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============================================================================
MASTER CLASS - BESTIARY
I thought that it might also be quite helpful to you to compile a bestiary,
wherein I listed certain bits of information about each of the enemy types
you will encounter in each of the Acts of Conan ... so here we go !!
=======
ACT ONE
=======
ENEMY NAME - White-shirted Pirate
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - A pirate clad in a white shirt. Weak, slow, and predictable
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - These guys lag REALLY nicely when they go to strike you, so
you have absolutely no excuse for not countering each and
every single one of them, thus bumping up your mastery of
counter-attacks significantly.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Brown-shirted Pirate
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Brown-shirted pirates are quicker and more combat-ready than
their white-shirted counterparts. Their attacks are a bit
harder to see coming (although not much, truth be told), and
they have the ability to block your attacks, so be warned.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Buxom Beauty
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - The Buxom Beauties are the ladies that you will find from
time to time. They will all be topless (hence the danger
rating - we wouldn't want you to be thinking of anything
other than the mission at hand, would we) ;), and they will
all want you to free them. They WILL reward you handsomly
for your efforts ;)
CAN BE THROWN ? - You wish !! Over your shoulder probably, right ?? NO. ;)
OTHER NOTES - I am particularly fond of the shading on this sprite, AND
the rather gormless way they sway around after you've ...
liberated them ... =./
------------
ENEMY NAME - Pirate Archer
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - Pirate Archers will fire either regular arrows or explosive
arrows at you from a distance - however they do not move
from their positions, making them generally very easy foes
to locate and despatch. Press RB to withdraw any arrows
that DO become lodged in any parts of your anatomy, and
throw them to the ground (pay close attention to doing this
when they fire explosive arrows, as they are on a timer !!).
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - If you do not remove the arrow/s quickly enough, you will
begin to sustain bleed damage.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Pirate Boss
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Pirate Bosses are ANNOYING. They are comparatively heavily-
armoured, carry two-handed weapons, and wear helmets. Not
to mention talking a lot of sh!te. Best technique to adopt
against them is the tried-and-tested, hit-and-run technique
which works wonders.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - When their helmet falls off, they are approximately 50% of
the way through being cooked.
=======
ACT TWO
=======
ENEMY NAME - Corsair Ship
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - Since the Corsair ships never attack you personally, they
should be considered very easy to take out - HOWEVER, they
do attack A'Kanna's ship instead, and so you are on a timer
to despatch them. Use the stationery turrets to take them
out in good time.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No. Not even Conan can throw a ship ;)
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Bone Cleaver
DANGER RATING - 4/5
DESCRIPTION - Bone Cleaver is the boss of Act 2, and deservedly so. He
has a series of four different attacks (listed in the
walkthrough, but to recap they are a smash-and-poke move;
calling for his archers to pelt his battle arena with their
explosive arrows; a spiralling sideflip which causes an
earthquake; and a 4-hit slow-moving but powerful combo.
CAN BE THROWN ? - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... no.
OTHER NOTES - Time your attacks, watch out for getting caught in his 4-hit
combo, and jump over his earthquake move. Also be aware
that, when he's about 75% cooked, he will generate an aura
that is tantamount to a blood rage, which bolsters his
aggressiveness and combat performance.
=========
ACT THREE
=========
ENEMY NAME - Lion
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Lions are more annoying than dangerous - they attack very
much as you would expect a wildcat to - swiftly, and without
mercy.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - Lions catch fire quite nicely, and whilst it will in most
cases not kill them, it does cause them to run around like
they are ............... well ... on fire really !!
------------
ENEMY NAME - Stygian Swordsman
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - With tattoos on their faces, facemasks and lithe bodies,
these boys are RIPE for an ass-whupping !!! They are armed
with one-handed swords with nasty curved blades, and are the
weakest enemies you will encounter in the Sand Vault.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - Whilst they are the weakest, they are still palpably more
powerful than the white-shirted pirates were in Acts 1 & 2,
so be on your guard. They can do semi-unblockable hits (by
which I mean they stun your guard, leaving you open to
further attacks).
------------
ENEMY NAME - Stygian Pikeman
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - In a word ? ANNOYING. They are armed with polearms that
make them visually very easy to distinguish from their
Stygian Swordsmen cousins, and like to attack from a
distance with green, life-sapping fireballs, or VERY quickly
up-close-and-personal by snapping their staffs at you, which
leaves you very little time to dodge unfortunately.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - Try and take these boys out first, to minimise the annoyance
factor they will otherwise visit upon you.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Sand Dragon
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - The Sand Dragon is the boss of Act Three, and ranks as one
of the LONGEST bosses to fight (in terms of the number of
stages you have to go through with him). He isn't overly
difficult to kill as long as you follow either my guide or
common sense really, but the length of the battle can be
a bit aggravating if you're not careful.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope, not even in your dreams
OTHER NOTES - Be calm - he may be large, but he's not that tough.
========
ACT FOUR
========
ENEMY NAME - Tribal Warrior
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Bald-headed man wearing face paint and carrying a two-handed
weapon. These are the grunts of the Tribe. They attack
quickly, and can do both block breakers and power attacks,
where the game slows just a touch and they raise their
staffs up before SLAMMING them into the ground to create
a mini shockwave.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - Aside from their speed, they are not too bad to fight.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Witch Doctor
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - They have face masks (BIG ones), and attack with sword and
shield, but are also able to cast spells from a distance
that rip up the earth with shockwaves and cause tusk-shaped
projectiles to shoot across the ground towards you. They
are NOT to be underestimated.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - Their face mask will come off when they have taken about
half-damage.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Tribal Hunter
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Looking very similar to the regular Tribal Warrior, these
men use bow and arrow from a distance, and then switch to
brutal two-handed swords when you draw near. They are
suave combatants, able to cope very well with many of your
attacks, so be on your guard.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - They are versatile and not overly stupid. They also shoot
arrows over a VERY long distance, so be prepared to do a
fair share of dodging/rolling.
========
ACT FIVE
========
ENEMY NAME - Gorillaman
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - The Gorillaman is a huge, hulking man-beast that resembles
a Yeti or Caveman of old. He has huge muscles, but is not
hugely well-evolved, behaving very much like a primate. His
massive hands can deal heavy damage, and he likes to jump
and pound the ground, unleashing minor earthquakes to show
off his power.
CAN BE THROWN ? - You MUST be joking
OTHER NOTES - The best way to defeat the Gorillaman is to stand just out
of his range when he does his close-quarters punchy-chest-
poundy attack, and then to unleash 2 strong attacks whilst
he is preparing to attack you again. Rinse and repeat, and
keep an eye open for his ground pound attacks or you'll be
flat on your arse in no time ;)
------------
ENEMY NAME - Gorillaman Lobber
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Having soft white hair in place of the regular Gorillaman's
dark smooth skin, the Gorillaman Lobber digs up boulders
from the earth to throw at you, meaning he has an
effectively unlimited supply of ammunition. The trade-off
is that he falls quickly in combat to strong attacks.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope, don't THINK so !! :)
OTHER NOTES - Crowd him and he will ordinarily try and back off to give
him a better chance of using his ranged powers against you.
THAT is the moment to lay the smack down ;)
------------
ENEMY NAME - Elephant God (aka Elephant Demon)
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - The Elephant God is NOT that tough an enemy to face - his
Boss Fight is short and reasonably sweet, and as long as you
keep your head, and avoid his concussive shockwave attacks,
you will do just fine.
CAN BE THROWN ? - You're joking, yes ? He's about 100 times your size !!
OTHER NOTES - None really - just keep calm ;)
=======
ACT SIX
=======
ENEMY NAME - Stygian Elite Swordsman
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - The Stygian Elite Swordsman is armed with a sword and
shield, and can project a blast of green energy from his
shield over a short distance that looks like green dust,
and which screws up your control system for a few seconds
(right and left, back and forward swap around, etc.),
making you easier prey for their attacks. They also have a
block-breaking running strike that is impressive to watch.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - These guys are the ones to watch out for - they are quick,
dangerous, and block well, so keep your eyes peeled !!
------------
ENEMY NAME - Stygian Archers
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - The Stygian Archers are just like the Pirate Archers from
Acts 1 & 2, save that they fire flaming arrows which do more
damage than their pirate relations.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Stygian Honour Guard
DANGER RATING - 4/5
DESCRIPTION - Able to block-break, block, and BREATHE FIRE (yes, you heard
me), these boys are NAILS and should be treated with respect
and care - BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN FIGHTING THEM. You'll
live longer if you take them out with a one-handed weapon &
a SHIELD ;). Their most devastating attack is a 4-hit combo
(2 fast, 1 block-breaking knockdown, fire breath whilst you
are on the floor) - it REALLY hurts, so avoid it at all
costs !
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - Roll to avoid their fire breath or take MEGA damage ;)
=========
ACT SEVEN
=========
ENEMY NAME - Winged Lizards
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - Weird, dinosaur-style lizards that flap about causing more
nuisance than damage. When their eyes glow red they are
about to bite you, but this can be easily dodged and, with
a few strong strikes, they fall pretty nicely. They also
have a poisonous breath attack that can be countered, and
which will stun you for a few seconds if you are hit by it.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Sorceress Queen
DANGER RATING - 4/5
DESCRIPTION - A huge female upper torso atop a serpent's lower-half,
Chimera, the Sorceress Queen, is both grotesque and very
dangerous. She attacks with her staff, through which she
can channel red energy blasts and shockwaves, and by
bringing her followers back from Death's Door itself.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope
OTHER NOTES - She's a BITCH of the first order, and can really ruin your
day with her EXTREMELY annoying 4-hit combo.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Resurrected Stygian Warriors
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Called back to life by Chimera, these fallen warriors lack
their weapons, but are given sharp claws to perform open-
hand strikes with, making them weak individually, but VERY
strong en masse.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Don't bother
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
=========
ACT EIGHT
=========
ENEMY NAME - Argosian Archers
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - They fire fast, accurate, and without fear (meaning they
keep firing even if you are right in their faces - they do
not fall back for better vantage in general). Take them out
swiftly to avoid them becoming a pain in the arse. They
have AMAZING range on their bows, but the sparking noise
explosive arrows make whilst in flight gives their impending
attacks away ;) ROOOOOOOOOLL !!
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yes
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Argosian Swordsman
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - They attack VERY quickly, but the charge-up for their
block-breaker move is slow, so they kinda even out. They
are hard to parry though, so be aware of that.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Don't bother
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Argosian Elite Swordsmen
DANGER RATING - 4/5
DESCRIPTION - The Argosian Elite Swordsmen are some of the finest warriors
in Conan for the 360. They are fast, precise, strong,
SMART warriors with beautiful shields that function as both
an excellent defence AND an automatic counter-attack, owing
to the blades that run along their surface. You should
take them out with caution, and always watch out for the
retaliatory damage you will take from striking their shields
whilst the blades are out. They can throw their shields
and they will return, and finally they are able to charge
you (a block-breaker) with their shields !!!!!
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Argosian Honour Guard
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Whilst they are big and imposing-looking, and are armed with
a nasty whip which they can use to throw you about like a
rag doll (and which is very hard to counter owing to its
speed), they are poorer combatants than the Stygian Honour
Guard, and not particularly scary.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Tar Warriors (aka Ink-Covered Crewmen)
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Whilst they are PISH individually, the Tar Warriors (who
re-occur later in the game) are QUITE annoying in multiples
as they attack quickly (they tend to lurch), and unleash
multiple swipes at you before running out of puff. They are
slow and generally easily-despatched, but DON'T GET PENNED
IN ;)
CAN BE THROWN ? - Yep
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Giant Squid
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - The Giant Squid is not an overly tough boss to deal with,
truth be told. He is predictable, reasonably weak, and
unintelligent ... much like my boss. If you make good use
of the available terrain, and memorise which spots you will
be safe from his ink spray in, you will be juuuuuuuust fine.
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope, not at all
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
========
ACT NINE
========
ENEMY NAME - Bone Cleaver II
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Bone Cleaver II attacks in two different stylees, both of
which are devastatingly powerful - his first shows him
coming at you with a two-handed weapon; his second with a
ball and chain. He is also backed up by a lion when the
match starts, so that should be the first enemy you take
out.
CAN BE THROWN ? - That boy has never been thrown in his entire life, sorry,
but nope
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
=======
ACT TEN
=======
ENEMY NAME - Desert Warrior
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Desert Warriors Dual-Wield 2 one-handed swords, and use the
Savage Spin move to DEADLY effect, as well as charging into
close-quarters combat. They are ok on a 1-2-1, but when you
start to deal with 2 or more at a time, be VERY careful
about where you are standing, and how easily you can be
pinned at your current location.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Desert Pikeman
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Desert Pikemen may LOOK slightly weaker than the Desert
Warriors, but BELIEVE me they are not. They have some truly
BEAUTIFUL moves with their staves and can spin them around
their bodies to end with some massive hits - watch out for
them, and DON'T underestimate them.
CAN BE THROWN ? - No
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
==========
ACT ELEVEN
==========
ENEMY NAME - Blue Wraith
DANGER RATING - 2/5
DESCRIPTION - Blue Wraiths Dual-Wield, and have a very nice multi-hit
delayed combo (you will think they have stopped, but they
will repeat the end-move 3 times so keep guarding). They
fall quickly to two-handed attacks, as they don't block too
well.
CAN BE THROWN ? - They have no legs dude.
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Purple Wraith
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Purple Wraiths are arguably more dangerous than Blue Wraiths
owing to the strength and prevalence of their guarding skill
which is VERY good - they are armed with a one-handed weapon
and a shield, and block like billio. Batter down their
defences and wreak havok upon them.
CAN BE THROWN ? - They have no legs dude.
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Brown Wraith
DANGER RATING - 1/5
DESCRIPTION - Brown Wraiths use two-handed swords to attack you, and are
the strongest hitters, but poorest combatants of the wraith-
world, as they are SO obvious to predict in combat. They
do wield their two-handed weapons QUICKLY, but they lag when
they attack, and should pose no real problems for you.
Brown Wraiths are also responsible for all the pillars and
statues that fall upon you as you fight, so be wary of that.
CAN BE THROWN ? - They have no legs dude.
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
------------
ENEMY NAME - Giant Statue
DANGER RATING - 3/5
DESCRIPTION - Giant Statues are slow and, once you have mastered their
array of attacking moves, easy to deal with on a 1-2-1 in
combat. HOWEVER, the strength of their ground-pound move
is not to be underestimated, and it is difficult to avoid
on a GOOD day, so beware of that. They do a very nice 5-
hit slow combo that people tend to assume has finished
before time (2 fast, 2 block-breakers, 1 fast).
CAN BE THROWN ? - Never ever McNEVERever, no.
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
==========
ACT TWELVE
==========
ENEMY NAME - Graven
DANGER RATING - 5/5
DESCRIPTION - Graven is a MOFO - he fights in two different forms - very
bendy Graven for the kids, and central spinny Graven for the
grown-ups, and is backed up by HORDES of Tar Warriors, not
to mention his tentacles, so BE VERY CAREFUL, and be VERY
patient !!
CAN BE THROWN ? - Nope, never.
OTHER NOTES - None, really.
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 8 ¦
============================================================================
HINTS AND TIPS
Here are a number of (what I certainly hope to be) helpful hints and tips that
I have picked up during play :-
BLOCKING ARROWS
===============
You can only block arrows if you have a shield - dual-wielding and two-handed
weaponry CANNOT BE USED to block arrows unfortunately.
BACKPACKING IT
==============
Since Conan is able to carry an additional weapon on his back, I find that
whenever I am playing, I make a point of picking up as many weapons as
possible, as he will do the following :-
- Start in One-Handed Mode
- When you pick up a second weapon, go into Dual-Wield Mode
- If you pick up another one-handed weapon, stay in Dual-Wield Mode, but
put the surplus weapon in the scabbard at his back
The main point I'm making is that it's important to try and keep a weapon on
Conan's back at all times. If you're in Dual-Wield and he has a spare weapon
at his back, you can throw a weapon that's in your hand, and he'll pull the
extra weapon from his back and stay in Dual-Wield mode (thus giving you a
free projectile shot which can take out an archer or similar). It really is
well worth it.
FREE HEALING
============
Completing a rune triumvirate automatically heals (and increases) your health
bar, so bear that in mind whenever you see one.
REPEAT SAVING
=============
There's nothing to stop you from repeatedly saving the game so if, for
example, you find yourself having just slain a PARTICULARLY troublesome
group of enemies just after having saved ? Go back and save again !! Odds
are the game will remember they're dead, and then you won't have to go
through all the aggravation of slaying them again.
UNLOCKABLES
===========
If you go to the Extras > Unlockables > Cheats screen, you will find that
there are FOUR hidden modes you can unlock in Conan.
Completing the game on easy does not give you access to any of these;
Completing the game on normal gives you access to the Master All Moves and
Song of Death Modes;
Completing the game on hard gives you access to the Armour Power Mode, and
enables you to play through the game on King Difficulty; and
Completing the game on king gives you access to the Invulnerability Mode.
Just so you don't think me rude, here is what each of the modes actually
DOES :-
MASTER ALL MOVES mode gives you full mastery of every move and combo in
Conan's Arsenal;
SONG OF DEATH mode gives you permanently activate Song of Death power;
ARMOUR POWER mode gives you unlimited magic energy, so you can repeat-cast
any of your spells; and
INVULNERABILITY is pretty bleedin' obvious to be honest !!
============================================================================
¦ 0 2 9 ¦
============================================================================
==============================================================================
¦ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ¦
==============================================================================
As I mentioned at the top of this guide, I would like to dedicate it as a
piece of work to my best friends Matthew and Peter, who have always stood up
up for me, loved and looked after me, sheltered me when I've been hungry,
protected me when I've been scared, and shared every happiness of my life with
me. You mean everything to me, and I would be nothing without you xx
Special thanks go to Be4uBuick for a) reading my guide, and b) pointing out
how best to obtain the blue rune triumvirate in the Well of Dreams Level.
Thanks to Mr Stuff for getting in touch with guidance and hints on how to make
life MUCH easier during the Chimera / Sorceress Queen Boss Fight =)
Cheers to BenHatinU for volunteering further strategies to defeat the wretched
Sorcess Queen in her Boss Fight =)
Thanks go to Marc for his helpful insight into the second-stage of the
Elephant God / Elephant Demon Boss Fight.
Many thanks to Mahk23 for his insight into the Bone Cleaver II Boss Fight on
HARD difficulty, which most people have problems with ...
Thanks also to justacityboy for his suggestions about taking out Bone Cleaver
II on the second stage of his boss fight, on the easier difficulty settings.
Cheers to Jameason for his comments about the Sorceress Queen Sludge-Slalem.
Thanks to WarCorpse18 for suggesting I make special mention of the tappy-
tappiness of the Sorceress Queen Boss Fight, as it IS rather aggravating I
must admit !! =)
Thanks to cyberwrat for getting in touch to warn me about the additional A
in the final list of commands.
Cheers to GIJoeJeff for pointing out that the button sequences during the
Graven Boss Fight change if you fluff them up the first time around.
Thanks to Evergrey06 for his input into the second-stage of the Bone Cleaver
II Boss Fight.
Thanks to Nightfall for fleshing-out this information, and confirming the
parameters within which you do, and do not, have to engage in the second-stage
of this Boss Fight.
Many thanks to Dr Nordo for contributing the alternative strategy for beating
Graven :)
Thanks to Pengages for confirming my suspicions about the most annoying part
of the game (arguably) being a glitch after all ... :)
I would also like to give special praise to my brother Sming, who's invaluable
input into some of the finer combat techniques he himself has mastered with
Conan has enabled me to make my Combat Master Class even better =)
==============================================================================
¦ Copyright Mister Sinister, 2007 ¦
==============================================================================